


Uncovering Heleus

by Ilyasviel



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Crazy Ryder, Eventual Smut, F/M, Friendship/Love, Post-Endgame, Tomb Raider meets Mass Effect
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-11-08 01:35:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 61,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11071305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilyasviel/pseuds/Ilyasviel
Summary: Attention! Spoiler alert!After the events on Meridian, Sara awakens to a new world of marvels. Wanting to walk her own path and live her share of adventures. She has to choose a place to start and Kadara sounds good. Having Reyes there only adds to the planet's charm...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first Andromeda fic! YAY! I loved Reyes since he opened his mouth and the velvety voice reached my ears. Obviously, I romanced him in my first run of the game, and how disappointing it was T_T 
> 
> Sara is a carefree girl, funny and crazy as hell. Just like I imagine her with Fryda's voice work <3 and Reyes is just Reyes hahahaha sexy as hell and the perfect smuggler *_*
> 
> Don't be hard on me, I don't have beta reader on this work and English is not my first language >_< let me know what you think of the fic!

Sara wakes with a throbbing pain beating between her eyes. She tries to sit on the bed but falls back with a sick feeling. The bed moved when someone kneels beside her. “Hey, Sara.”

She opens her eyes, slowly this time, and can see her brother, Scott, kneeling beside her. He helps her to sit and lean against the headboard. The memory of what happened comes full at once, and she shivers a bit, Scott reassuring her by grasping her hand. “I’m getting too used to this. How long this time?”

He pats her leg, smiling softly. “Weeks. But relax, you haven’t missed much.”

She remembers her travel to Meridian in the Archon’s ship, the pain the kett inflicted on her while accessing her implant, the comms she listened through her connection with Scott. “The Ark and the sleepers? They’re safe in the sphere?”

Scott nods, his lopsided smile showing on his unshaved face. “Yes, and you better like where we parked, because it’s home now. The sleepers wake to an amazing view, sis.”

Sara takes his hand and forces him to lean over her, hugging him with all the strength she had. “We did it, dad… we did it.” Letting him go, she pokes his temple with a finger. “What about your implant? And SAM?”

The synthetic voice sounds directly in their heads, “I am once again helping the Pathfinder activate Remnant. Our connection has been restored.”

Sara remembers the feeling of having SAM controlling her brain, “You still need him?”

Scott shrugs, “We still need to uncover the secrets of Meridian, and using the Remnant tech without him hurt… I’ll take the help. I was turning my brain inside out, and Lexi is threatening with grounding me if I didn’t stop dying and destroying my neural connections. So yes, I still need him.”

Massaging her temple while remembering the pain, she only nods. “Yeah, I can relate.”

Standing from the bed, Scott pats her head one last time. “I have a meeting with the Nexus leaders… that political shit never ends. Don’t push yourself. The party is waiting for you.”

She throws him the pillow, but he catches it quickly, “Shut up, little brother!”

“I see you are feeling better, sis. Take a walk if you want, you may found a couple of our friends outside. Make SAM contact me if you need anything.”

She let her legs fall over the side of the bed, “You better get going before I start to throw you solid objects… and remember that I’m sleeping near a collection of weapons.”

His laughs got muffled when the hydraulic door of the cabin closes behind him. Sara stands slowly, testing the ability of her legs to support her weight. One of her hands leans against the rack of weapons that covers the wall to her left, moving in the door direction. A guard stands near the door, and make a swift movement to come to her aid when she crosses the door. Sara raises a hand, stopping him. “I’m ok, my legs feel wobbly, but I can survive a walk to the showers.” The guard nods, but don’t take his eyes from her while she moves through the hallway in the dorms direction. She feels her legs regaining their capacity to walk without trembling, for when she put a foot on the dorms, she walks firmly enough to stop leaning on the walls. Moving to her locker, she recovers her casual outfit: a pair of black trousers, a white tank, her leather jacket and a scarf her mother made for her years ago. She picks her toiletry bag and moves to the shower room, leaving the items just outside the cabin. Her hand is ready to push the water controls, when she thinks about it, “SAM, we have water available for showers?”

“Yes, Sara, water is an unlimited resource on Meridian, and the Remnant nodes give the Ark the energy to purify and heating it.”

With a sigh, she chose the hottest temperature of the range, and push the button. “Thanks, SAM. I needed one of those after the last nap.”

“You’re welcome, Sara. Let me know if you need anything more.”

She let herself enjoy the feeling of the hot water running over her skin, her hair plastered against her head and shoulders. The rest of the sleepiness of her body leaves her mixed with the soap and the hot water, and she exits the shower feeling renewed and full of energy. She dries her body with a big towel put her clothes on, wrapping her hair in the towel. Her hair is still dripping, and she decides to let it dry on its own, storing the scarf on her back pocket. The dirty clothes and the towel fall in the laundry box, and she returns to the dorms, recovering her shoes from the locker. 

She leaves the dorm, her hand toying with her wet locks. She waves to the guard on the hallway, giving him a grateful smile from his interest and moving inside the Atrium. Everything looks like she remembers it, except for a new terminal with a memorial message. She sees a couple of known faces and moves to talk with Captain Dunn and her pilot, Lani. Scott is on the other side of the room, talking with Vetra and Sid, but when the younger signals in her direction, he turns and waves to her, leaving the pair of turians to join her.

“Hey, sis, good to see you awake and walking, and without help! That’s an improvement!”

She crosses her arms over her chest, “Easy there, Pathfinder, you don’t want to kiss the floor so soon after your victory.”

A chuckle sounds from behind them, and Sara turns in time to see a man covering his face with a hand, trying to hide his grin from Scott, but failing. When Scott arches a brow in his direction, the man only smiles, “I still have to meet your sister officially, but I already like her.”

His voice is rich and deep, with a strong accent she can’t place. “Reyes Vidal. Pleased to meet you, Sara Ryder.” He extends his hand, and she clasps it firmly.

Scott is beside her, “Don’t let this sweet-talker fool you. Let’s make the right presentation. Sara, let me introduce you to Reyes Vidal, aka Shena, our contact on Kadara for the Resistance, aka the Charlatan, head of the Collective, and the actual king of Kadara.” 

The man let her hand go and looks a little defeated after Scott words. Turning his attention again to Sara, he nods. “Pleased to meet you, even when your brother will prefer to launch me to one of our acidic lakes on Kadara. Excuse me. It seems I still have some secrets to hide from the Ryder family.”

He passes beside them and moves to the end of the Atrium, where Vetra is still talking with Sid. The older turian puts a supportive hand on his shoulder while he stops near them, walking to a free set of chairs and sitting on it, reading something on his omnitool. Sara turns to her brother with an arched brow. “Now, little brother, you need to explain what happened between you two, because from your reports you seemed to have a good relation with that man.”

Scott shakes his head, taking her hand but stopping before taking a single step. “How are you feeling for a little stroll outside the Ark?”

She just grasps his hand firmly and starts going down the stairs. “I’m fine, in fact, I need to have some fresh air... and some food will be fantastic.”

Scott takes the lead, guiding her to the door that connects the Ark to the Tempest. He makes her wait for him on the cargo bay while he picks some food from the galley. When he has everything they will need for their little picnic, they leave the ship and walk over the green landscape of Meridian. She is totally in awe of the view and the feelings; the sun seems real, the wind too, they even have a blue sky over their heads. “I can’t believe all of this is a creation from some advanced race.”

Scott nods, signalling to a beautiful waterfall one klick from their position. They walk side by side to there. “Is unbelievable, isn’t? But we saw it first hand, the heart of the planet, and our outposts informed that life exploded on their planets as soon as we activated it. Those Jardaan are up to something impressive here, but we still don’t know what it is.”

The sound of the waterfall is like music to their ears. Having lived almost all their lives on the Citadel or travelling to distant planets, they don’t get tired of this sensation. He helps her to sit on a log near the water, passing her an energy bar and a piece of fruit she didn’t recognise. “Taste it before you complain, is like a peach but less sweet.” They eat in silence, and Sara let her gaze move over the landscape, taking in every detail she can. Once they have ended with their meal, Scott leans his arms over his knees. “Time to tell you the full version of what happened on Kadara.”

She knew Scott moves on the two sides of love, as she likes to call it, and knowing that he developed some feelings for Reyes didn’t surprise her. But when he explains how they have kissed and then how Vidal has killed Sloane in front of him, and with his help, she can understand his resentment. She puts an arm around his shoulders, leaning her head against his. “I see… but if I remember well, you kissed that hot guy who takes care of your ship when we saved the day.”

Scott chuckles, nodding softly. “Yeah, that’s Gil.”

She smiles, and he can feel it against his cheek. “Yes, the hot one. And knowing that you forget so quickly this other man and that he crossed a full system to fight with you, and helped to save your beloved sister, why are you still mad at him?”

Scott let his head fall, looking defeated. “I know! He tried to explain to me the reasons for what he did, but I was so angry at him that I even listened to his words. And now, I don’t know how to mend it, and my bitter side always surfaces when I talk with him.”

She let his shoulders go, standing up in front of him. “Then is set, I will talk with him and let him know that not all the Ryders on Andromeda hate him. I even can wheedle him to tell me the full story, and together we can decide if we are still angry with him or not.”

Scott punches her leg, hard enough to make her swear. “And the fact that he is hot as hell had nothing to do with that interest you developed for meddling in our friendship, right?”

She put her hands on her hips, tilting her head. “Don’t follow that path, little brother, I brought a lot of pics from our childhood, and I will be more than happy to show them to that Gil of yours.”

He laughs hard at her words. “Dear gods, I will have to ask Tann to put you back in a stasis pod!”

She sticks out her tongue, “You missed me, little brother.”

He stands and wraps her in a bear hug. “More than you can imagine, Sara.”

They return to the Ark, talking about everything he lived in the past months, about her mother treatment, the signals of the remaining Arks. When they are near the Tempest ramp, SAM contacts them. “Pathfinder, Sara, the Nexus leaders ask when do you want to start the Victory party.”

They answer at the same time, the words followed by a string of laughter. “Party? Party hard!” 

Scott is drying his tears, “SAM, tell them to call if for as soon as possible. Sara is feeling fine for it, and the Moshae needs to visit Aya before moving to the Nexus. The sooner, the better, as mum loved to say.”

They walk to the door that connects the landing area with the Hyperion. She stops him before he can open it. “Scott, what am I supposed to do while you travel the system in this beauty? I will not stay in Meridian; I need to visit Heleus, want to see what we fought for.”

Scott seems to think on it for a moment, “You can join the Tempest, if you want, or talk with our allies for a place on their ships or planets, to acclimate yourself to this new galaxy.”

She gives him a half hug. “I will love to join the Tempest, but before I do it, I want to travel for a bit. You know how much I love to have some tale to share over a good tank of beer, and at the moment I only can talk about how hard the med beds are and how much I miss a good coffee.”

He sighs while opening the door. “Fine, sis. Talk with Evfra, Jaal, the other Pathfinders or even Reyes; they can give you ideas of places to visit or teams to join.”

When the door finally opens, and they step inside the Ark, the intercoms are streaming the news; the party will begin in thirty minutes in the Atrium and the landing zone. While they climb the stairs to join Dunn near the bridge, they can see Kesh grinning happily with Drack and Vorn, a dozen of Krogans carrying boxes to a table near the memorial terminal. They start to put a good quantity of rynkol and other kinds of poison over a table, Kesh marking the bottles as dextro or levo or only for krogan. The Atrium starts to get crowded, all the people who are not working has been waiting for this party since they crashed on Meridian. At the exact hour, music starts to sound from the intercom speakers, and the party formally was begun. No discourses or formalities, for the first time since they put a foot on the galaxy, they can simply enjoy the night.

Gil stole Scott from Sara’s side and takes him away to dance with him. Cora is trying to teach Jaal how to dance their music, while Vetra is sharing a bottle of something that looks like brandy with Sid. She can’t see the rest of the team, but after grabbing a bottle of whisky from the table, courtesy of Kesh, she walks to the spot where she last saw Reyes. He remains there, sitting on a couch reading his omnitool with a concerned frown. She let herself fall beside him, startling him, “Mark the day! Someone surprised Reyes Vidal! I’m already destroying your legend, and we just meet one another!”

He looks at her with an arched brow, his velvety voice reaching her clearly over the sound of the music. “Making fun of me is a Ryder’s pastime? Because I had enough with one of you if that's the case.”

She puts a lock of hair behind her ear, “Not really… in fact, I came with a peace offering, but I’m so happy to be alive and kicking that I let myself get carried along. Let’s start again, will you?” She extends her hand again, showing the bottle with the other, “Nice to meet you, Reyes Vidal. As a token of gratitude for your participation in saving my sorry ass from the Archon’s clammy hands, will you share this bottle of whisky with me?”

He takes the offered hand and shakes it. “Nice to meet you too, Sara. It will be my pleasure to toast with you for our victory.”

They share the bottle between them, enjoying the show of the people of the Milky Way dancing with the Angara that remained on Meridian. They exchange a look and a knowing grin when they saw Jaal trying to dance a slow with Cora. Kandros is coaxing Vetra to dance too, with some help from Sid, and even Lexi is enjoying herself with Harry. Sara stretches out her legs, with the care of not hitting someone while doing it. “I will ask you for a dance, but I spend the last weeks in bed, my legs are starting to remember the feeling of not having to deal with my weight. I want to talk with you for a while, do you want to come to my cabin?” His brow arches again, and she raises her hands, making and X in front of her, “Talk, you pervert, only talk!”

He laughs like he talks, with a sound that feels like a caress and makes you join him. “Ok, Sara, but if your brother tries to kill me after our chat, I want some assurance that you will try to defend my honour.”

She stands slowly, the part of her legs starting to fail her was accurate enough. “Deal. Now let’s move before you have to drag me there. Follow me, Mister Vidal.”

Together they dodge the dancing people on the Atrium, waving here and there to friends and acquaintances. When they enter the hallway to the SAM node and the Pathfinder quarters, the sound almost disappears behind the doors. She sighs, leaning against the wall for a moment. “Finally! I don’t know how I can feel so tired after spending the last weeks sleeping.” The guard from before isn't there, the door to the Node is barred and closed, like her quarters. She supposes that having it closed, the guard is not necessary, at least during the party. Her biometrics unlock the door to her quarters, and she let Reyes help her the last steps to the couches. “I’m worse than I thought… thanks for the help.”

Reyes dismisses her and sits on the armrest of the other couch. “You are welcome.” He takes a look around, fixing his gaze on the collection of weapons on the wall near the door. “Nice place you have here.”

She shrugs, taking off her jacket and the shoes. “I somehow inherited it when they gave the Tempest to Scott. It was supposed to be the Pathfinder quarters, but I share it with him.” She looks longingly into the kitchen. “If you help me to get there, I can brew some coffee. I still have some Colombian left.”

Standing back, he grabs her hand and pushes her up. “First whisky and now some good coffee, are you trying to buy me, Sara?”

She hums softly, “That crossed my mind, yes. But now I'm only friendly. Time will say, Mister Vidal, now take me to the kitchen, if you please.”

He chuckles but helps her to walk the short distance to the kitchen. An old coffee machine, Italian style, is there. She starts to rummage inside the cabinets, finding a box with her name everywhere. When she sees him smiling at it, she starts opening the box, “Sometimes I need to remember my brother that some things are for private use. Years ago we decided to mark everything, we liked the same things when we grow up, and developed this costume to mark our things like this.” She founds the package of black coffee, inhaling its scent before starting to prepare it. “Childish, I know, but old habits are hard to change.” The strong smell of coffee starts to fill the room, and Sara uses the time to store again the few items she put away from the box and putting it back in the cabinet. When the coffee maker beeps, she looks at him, “Let me guess, black with a good spoon of sugar?”

He helps her to put the mugs on the table, “I’m that easy to read?”

“Not really, but I’m good at my work… And is how I like it too, so I always guess that people who enjoy a good whisky, neat, will like the coffee with a bit of sugar on it.”

He brings the two mugs to the centre table between the couches and helps her to return to one of them. Reyes takes his time smelling the sweet perfume of the coffee. When he takes the first sip, he almost moans, “Gods, it's been ages since I got my last cup of coffee. Thanks, Sara.”

She is enjoying her mug, a happy smile on her face. “You are welcome, Reyes. Now, time for the little chat. As you already knew, I spent the last months sleeping, first in a comma and then recovering from Archon’s attack. I only saw the Hyperion and a little part of Meridian.” She ends her coffee and put the mug on the table, blending her legs under her body. “Scott wants me to join the Tempest crew, but I want… I need to visit this new galaxy by myself for awhile before committing to the excruciating mission of pathfinding things.” He nods while putting down his mug, leaning against the back of the couch and crossing one leg over the other. “My question, Mister Vidal, is an easy one. Will you let me join you and travel to Kadara in your ship? I read that is a beautiful planet, full of Remnant ruins and even some Angaran ones, and I will love to spend some time studying them.”

Reyes can’t hide the surprise from his face. “Did you know that Kadara isn’t the most secure planet on Heleus, right? We still have some outlaws playing havoc on the Badlands, and the local fauna is less than friendly.” He leans a hand over his raised knee, “Besides, how do you think your brother will react if he thinks I am dragging you to Kadara?”

She signals over her shoulder to the weapon rack on the wall, “Mister Vidal, half of this weapons are mine. I was trained by an N7, served in the Alliance for years, in the peacekeeping force, through the Traverse, so excuse me if a lot of outlaws and wild animals don’t scare the shit of me.” She winks at him, the grin on her face growing. “And don’t worry about Scott, he let your name fall when I talked with him about my plan, so no worries there.”

He crosses his arms, still dubious, but at last, he simply nods to her, “Ok, Sara. I will take you with me to Kadara, and even help you to dig some dusty relics from the Angara ruins. The Remnant ones are on Nexus hands, and you will have to deal with Christmas at Ditaeon for it, but I know they are not prioritising the investigation, having so much to do in the mines.”

Sara is smiling broadly to him, untangling herself from the couch to clasp his hand. “Perfect! Thanks, Reyes. When are you planning to leave?”

He returns the clasp, standing to bring the mugs to the sink. “My initial plan was to leave tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, but I can rearrange it if you need more time to recover.”

“Don’t worry about me, I will be like new tomorrow, but I need to talk with Scott before we leave. Can we fix the date to the day after tomorrow?”

He nears the couch and grasps her shoulders softly. “Sure. SAM have my contact, send me a mail whenever you want to see me and to tell me if there is any change of plans. Rest well, Sara.”

She pats his hand before he leaves the room. The hissing sound of the door gives her the final push to stand up and move slowly to the bed. She let herself fall over it, wrestling with her pants while laying on it. When he is in her underwear and tank, she moves until she covers her body with a blanket and let the sleep take her. This night she dreams of unknown landscapes and Reyes sweet voice.


	2. Journey to Kadara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decissions have been made, the gears are already in motion. Sara's adventures begins today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still working on the next chapters! Let me know what you think of it so far ;) no beta-reading for this story, be nice to this Spanish girl writing in a foreign language :P

Sara wakes up to the sensation of someone softly poking on her face. She opens her eyes, slowly, blinking rapidly to adjust to the bright light of the room. Over her face, she sees her brother, smiling broadly while continuing poking her cheek. Sara makes an un-lady grunt trying to capture his hand, failing when he steps back laughing at her. “Good morning, sis! One can think that you got enough sleep for the next ten years, but you are the same ‘not a morning person’ as ever.”

She stretches her body under the covers before sitting with her back against the headboard. “And you are still the same idiot I suffered on the Milky Way.”

Scott moves directly to the kitchen, ignoring her comment. “Better we stop talking until you drink your first dose of coffee.” Starting to clean the coffee maker, he sees the two mugs on the sink, storing the image for a later discussion. He knows where to find everything, the pair of steaming cups ready to enjoy in the short time she spends putting her clothes on again. They sit on the couches, facing each other, sipping their drinks slowly.

Sara ends her coffee first, empty mug leaning over her knee. “To what do I owe this pleasure, little brother?”

He puts his mug on the table and leans his forearms over his knees. “There are two important matters we have to talk. And one of them gained priority when I found two mugs on the sink… I will suppose you already made your movement to deploy yourself on some distant planet, didn’t you?”

She shrugs, “What can I say? I’m a bit eager to leave this comfort zone and travel…” 

He leans back to the couch, crossing his arms and arching a brow, “Surprise me, sis. Where did I’ll need to go to save your sorry ass?”

She puts the mug on the armrest, blending one leg and pinning it against her chest with her arms. “Well… I read the reports of your missions, and after thinking about it decided to go to Kadara.” She raises a hand to silence him before he can start talking. “It has better weather than Voeld and Elaaden, and I’m still not ready for freezing my butt or burn my skin under the sun. Havarl looked good, but we already have a team working on the remnant structures, nothing new for me there. Eos… no, thank you very much. So much sand and sunlight. That means that Kadara was the logical destination: we have a working outpost, Remnant ruins and even some Angara ruins that need some love.”

His face gives away his thoughts as clearly as his words. “Sure… Logical destination, aha. Sis, sell that crap to another person.”

She stands and brings the mug to the sink, “Think what you want, Scott. I’m going to Kadara anyway. I talked yesterday with Reyes, and he will be my pilot, he even offered himself to come with me during my walks outside the Port or the outpost.”

Scott sighs, standing and moving to the sink too, putting a hand on Sara’s shoulder, “Do what you want, Sara. I only wanted to have you onboard with me, but I understand that you need to live your share of adventures. Only--” He hugs her, leaning his chin over her head. “Just be careful. Kadara is full of vipers, and I'm not talking about the local wildlife, people there will shot you at first sight only for being a Nexus.”

She returns the hug, smiling against his chest “The legendary Pathfinder Ryder worried for her big sister? Perish the thought!”

Scott punches her side, “Glad to see you are still the same idiot I loved and missed so much.”

They break the hug, Scott shooing her away from the sink while he washes the mugs and cleans the coffee maker. He looks to her over his shoulder, she has returned to the couch and is putting on her shoes. “When will you leave?”

“Tomorrow, Reyes wanted to know if you will have a problem with me going with him to Kadara. It seems he didn’t want to infuriate you more than what he thinks you are.”

He wipes his hands with a paper towel before returning to her side. “Perfect timing, then. We have to leave tomorrow too; the Moshae needs to make a stop on Aya before making her ig appearance on the Nexus. And we still have to coordinate our work with Evfra, the intel we have said that the ketts are still kidnapping Angarans from Voeld.”

She grins happily, “Then we have almost a full day to catch up. And I need your help to make some requisitions for equipment and armour. As much as I like our private collection of weapons, I don’t like the idea of losing dad’s pistol during a raid.”

He helps her to stand, and together, they leave the room, moving directly to the Tempest, where cott uses his Pathfinder codes to order or develop everything she may need on her travels. Gil shows up sometime near the dinner time, and Scott did the formal presentation. She uses a moment of solitude where the lovebirds leave her alone on the Pathfinder quarters to send Reyes a message.

S.Ryder: Hey, Reyes. I talked with Scott. We have the green light, no worries. ETD?

R.Vidal: Good to know, don’t want to have the human Pathfinder kicking my door to find you. I prefer to arrive at Kadara before the sunset, 7 AM sounds good to you?

S.Ryder: Sure thing. I’ll wait for you near the docking area. I will need some help to move my luggage.

R.Vidal: Consider it done. See you tomorrow, Sara.

Just when she closes her omnitool, the pair return to the room with a little plush on Gil’s hands. They give it to her, and when Scott sees the face, she is making, starts laughing, so hard that Vetra shows at the door of the room with Drack and Cora. When they see the situation, everyone starts laughing, except Sara, who didn’t catch the joke. “SAM, can you bring some light to this stupid situation?” 

Scott dries his tears with the back of a hand. “No need, SAM. I will explain it right now.” He forces the plushie on her hands and put an arm around Gil's shoulders. “Sis, we have big news for you. You will be an auntie in less than seven months!”

The little plushie falls to the floor, and she launches herself against Scott and Gil, almost making them fall. “Really? Are you serious? Oh my gosh! Congratulations!” All the team knew about Jill pregnancy, and are more than happy for Scott and Gil, and now, for Sara too, who is on the verge of crying from happiness. “Tell me everything!”

They move the little party to the galley, where they sit around the table and enjoy their meal together. It will be Gil’s baby, but they are a ‘thing’, a real one, so they will be booth the dads of the baby. Addison and Kesh gifted them a little condo on the Nexus, for when the baby arrives, with enough room for Jill and the baby and the pair of them.

Is almost midnight when Scott offers himself to walk her to her room, the items for their travel already stocked in a lift near the door of the landing area. They hug once inside the room, and Scott gives her a final gift. “Here, take this with you, is a portable quantum node. This way you can have access to SAM wherever you need him, and contact me through him.” 

“Thanks, Scott. I promise to behave. Don’t worry. I’ll wait to be a bad girl and search problems until I’m serving on the Tempest.” 

Scott kisses her cheek soundly before moving to the door, “Let me know when you establishes yourself on Kadara. I’ll try to visit as soon as possible.” Turning to her while the door is closing, he winks to her, “Love you, sis. Don’t break Reyes, please!”

She smiles to herself while the door closes, starting to undress and falling hard over the bed, knowing that probably this will be the last night she will enjoy a good bed in a long time. She puts the alarm on her omnitool at 6 AM, time enough to get a shower, make some coffee to bring to the ship and ends packing her bag. 

The knowledge that her adventure will begin in the morning makes her sleep so soundly that she almost don’t listen to the beeping alarm. When at last the annoying sound penetrates her mind, she almost jumps from the bed. She has overslept fifteen minutes more than planned. Rubbing her eyes, she starts to prepare the coffee, letting the machine brewing it while she makes a quick work of her shower. Moving as silently as possible through the shared dorms, she recovers her few possessions from her locker before leaving, returning to her room wrapped in a towel and with her hands full of items. She let the objects and clothes she carries fall unceremoniously over the bed, moving to check the coffee, checking the time. ‘6:45, I need to hurry!’ She puts a pair of jeans with her military boots, a tank top and her leather jacket. Vetra advised her to avoid wearing Initiative clothes on Kadara, just in case. Filling the bag with everything she has on the bed, she closes it, a bit of force necessary to lock the zip. Returning to the kitchen, she fills a couple of thermos with the coffee, including the correct amount of sugar on each one. She washes the coffee maker as quick as possible, leaving the pieces to dry over the counter. 

At last, three minutes before seven, she picks up the bag, fixing it over her shoulder, holstered her pistol and shotgun and leave the room, the thermos on her hands. Reyes is waiting for her near the door, leaning against it with a big bag at his feet. “Good morning! Sorry if I’m a little bit late, I overslept.” 

He recovers his bag, smiling softly. “No problem, you made it just in time. Need help?” 

She returns the smile but shakes her head. “No need, thanks. Let’s get moving before Scott decides to show to bid me farewell.” Just outside the door, her lift awaits for them, and she puts their bags on it, pushing it with her hip to start moving. “Lead the way, Mister Vidal.” He signals a Kodiak painted in black and white with a jackal head in gold on the side. “You ride with style, Reyes.”

He closes the distance to the side door, the biometric sensor of the ship opening it for them. “I’m a man of good tastes, Sara. Let me help you with the boxes.” Between the two of them, they make a quick work of loading the luggage inside the shuttle, moving to the pilot seats once done. 

She sits in the copilot seat, giving him one of the thermoses she carries. “My way of say thank you. I’m grateful for your help.”

He takes it and opens the little lid, inhaling the smell of freshly brewed coffee. “Wait until you see the inferno you are volunteered to dig in it. But you are welcome.” He winks at her before starting the takeoff manoeuvre. His hands move quickly over the controls, like something natural to him. 

She enjoys the show, sipping her coffee. The shuttle’s core starts to vibrate, and her powers reacted to it, blue flames covering her body for a moment until she controls it. Reyes chuckles seeing her blushing. “Ups… sorry! It’s been a long while since I felt the vibration of element zero near me.”

“Don’t worry, Little Wisp. Is a beautiful way to take off.” Returning his attention to the shuttle controls, he adds in a small voice, “It suits you.”

They remain in silence while the shuttle takes off from the landing area, the sun rising behind the mountains, the sky above their heads dark without stars. The lights of the few buildings the Initiative has constructed painted the area with white and yellow lights. She enjoys the ride, the view is breathtaking, and knowing that is the new Earth for them, is like a dream. Over their heads, a hole in the sky signals the exit from the sphere that is Meridian. A blanket of stars greets them as soon as the shuttle crosses it. Her hand moves instinctively to the window, the smile on her face growing. “Spirits, I missed this…”

“If you want, we can take the scenic route. There are a few systems I’m sure you will enjoy passing by.”

She blushes again and takes back her hand. “You wanted to arrive at Kadara before sunset, don’t  
delay it for my space longing.”

“Maybe I want to be the one to show you the beauty of Heleus, Little Wisp. Besides, the system I want to show you is on our way to Kadara, and we only add an hour or two to our travel.” He starts to mark the path before she can say yes or no. Once done he turns to her, opening his omnitool to show her the info. “The system’s name is Ratul, is a little system with only five planets. We can’t move close to the centre, but the Scourge has made a great entrance to this one, and is beautiful to see.” Checking the time on the shuttle console, he sits back, putting his feet on the console. “We have a couple of hours before we reach the system. I have a little bunk in the back if you want to rest until then.” 

She turns to him, bending her legs up and wrapping an arm around them. “Or I can stay here and make you talk about your kingdom and what I’ll found there.”

The lopsided smile he gives her was something to remember. “Kadara is, well, is a particular planet… Until your brother activated the Vault, all the water on the surface was toxic, a mix of water and sulfuric acid. But since then, all the lakes had turned potable or at least you don’t burn to death going for a swim. My people had sent me photos and videos after Meridian was activated: new life is breaking through the ground and rock, forest of exotic trees are growing near the mountains. The soil is dead in the near Karada Port and the Outpost, years of acidic water filtering in it has destroyed it, but Christmas and his people at Ditaeon are already working on it. The mountains are hollow with enormous caves, naturals and artificials. Don’t know how much more I can tell you. I plan to show you the beauty of Kadara in person when we arrive.”

She sips her coffee, and he seems to remember that he had one of his own and mimicked her. “Happy to have a guide for my little expedition, Reyes.”

The man raises his cup like cheering with her, “I’m here to serve. You helped, a lot, to save this place we call home, is the least I can do.” When she smiles shyly, he seems to remember something. “We need to talk about where you want to live. I’m sure Christmas can make room for you at Ditaeon or Keema can accommodate you on Kadara Port if you prefer it.”

“I suppose I will prefer to live in Kadara Port. It will be easier if I live near you, right?”

He let his gaze move over the controls of the shuttle, confirming everything is working as planned. “I don’t recommend you to live near me… My condo is on the Slums, just behind the Tartarus, is not the cleanest or safest place on Kadara.” 

She looks skeptically to him, “Really? You killed Sloane for nothing then?” 

“As your brother seems to love to remind me, I rule from the shadows, never showing my real face.”

She sighs, reaching to touch his shoulder. “You know he didn't hate you, right? He never knew how to deal with disappointment, more if feelings are involved. But he was happy to have you by his side on Meridian, even if he bites you every time you talk.” 

“Good to know the saviour of the day didn't hate me completely, I'll sleep much better tonight.”

She returns to her seat, looking at the exterior of the ship. “Fine then, enjoy your bitterness.”

He snorts, and silence fills the little space for a long while. A beep from the console distract them, and Reyes sits back and starts to pilot the ship to where he wanted to go. With a soft sigh, he takes a deep breath before speaking. “After this awkward moment when I’ve een the asshole your brother thinks I am, it’s time for you to see the beauty Heleus has to offer.” He gives her a weak smile, his hand moving over his wrist, deft fingers working on his omnitool. Just when the ship is leaving the FTL, a soft music fills the little space.

Her gaze fixes to the window in front of her. The spectacle is breathtaking. The blue light of the star gives the system an ethereal look, the scourge on the far side of it glowing under it. She was simply in awe, “It is beautiful. Thanks, Reyes.” 

His lopsided grin is back, together with a mischievous look in his eyes. “Wanna take a closer look?”

She nods, leaning on the console to have a better image of the exterior. Reyes manoeuvres the ship closer to the scourge, but at a safe distance. The dark clouds of the Scourge shine with an inner energy, yellow dots showing under it, like lava from a volcano. The bluish light of the star was the perfect contrast to it. “I can't find better words for it, is darkly beautiful.”

He hummed his agreement, “Yes. As you will discover soon, there are a lot of dangerous but beautiful things in Heleus.” 

She looks to him over her shoulder, “I will have to learn how to deal with the deadly part.” She winks at him before returning her gaze to the dark space in front of her. 

Half an hour has passed, and the music still fills the ship when a beep sounds from the console. Reyes touches some controls on it and touches her shoulder softly. “Sorry, we need to move, or we don't make it in time to Kadara. I promise to take you back soon.”

She sits back on the seat, legs crossed and with a contented grin on her face. “Thanks again, Reyes. Is the best present I got since we left the Milky Way.”

Reyes chuckles, his hands moving quickly over the console to fix the new destination. “And knowing that was the Archon who organised your last surprise party, I'm still deciding if I feel proud or not.” 

She joins the joke, her grin almost mimicking his, “Yeah. The catering was awful! And the music, BLEH! Someone has to teach the Archon a thing or two about how to organise a party-- Oh, wait, I killed him with my brain. No more parties for the Archon.” 

He is openly laughing now, “That you did, Little Wisp, no help from the rest of the system, you, him, and your brain cells in a deadly battle of wills.” 

“Finally! Someone see through Scott’s lies! He only distracted him, you know. I am the hero of the family, but I don't like to be pursued by crazy fans, and I let him enjoy the fame. Between you and me, I think is the only way for him to get laid.”

They are laughing while Reyes marks the new destination on the console, the ship entering FTL with a soft sound. The music has changed, something with more bass and rhythm below the violins. After a last check on the panel, Reyes turns his body completely to face Sara. “Returning to the previous topic we started before I put my foot in my mouth, where do you prefer to live?”

Sara shrugs, her gaze fixed on the console. “I’m not sure. I don’t want to be in Ditaeon, I need some ‘privacy’ and being who I am, I will not have it in an Initiative Outpost. And I don’t know if some people in Kadara Port will want me death or simply kidnap me to extort or blackmail Scott.”

He crosses his arms, leaning against the side window, “I can see your point, but that only left the Slums…” With a soft sigh, he sits back on the chair, starting to tip on his omnitool. “I hope your brother don’t show at my door to kill me.” 

When he said nothing more, she pushes his arm. “If he didn’t kill you yet, I doubt he will do it for taking care of me.”

Sara’s omnitool beep and when she look, she finds a code on it. “I have a spare room in my condo. You are welcome to stay with me until you decide where do you prefer to stay.”

Her laughs fill the little ship, even silencing the music for a moment. She manages to say some words between burst and burst of laughing. “Oh yes… Scott will kill you… twice… very much dead!”

He soon joins her, Sara's laugh was extremely contagious. “It will be a waste to die from an overprotective little brother instead from an uprising or in a battle with an alien dark lord.”

She recovers her breath slough, fits of laugh exploding from time to time. “Yes, so sad. We can let you die from that. The legend of the King of Kadara can’t end like that.” 

He chuckles, “Yeah, quite the legend. I’ll let you the freedom to explain to him where are you staying or simply keeping him in the dark about the details. Feel free to do whatever you believe correct.”

Sara makes something between a snort and a laugh. “With Scott, nothing is correct, ever! He is soooo by the book that is stressful talking with him sometimes. Gil is improving his tolerance to good humour and jokes exponentially. Remember me to send him a basket of fruits or something, as a ‘Thank you’ present.”

He tries to hide his laugh behind a fake cough. “Are you twins? You got all the good parts on the bargain or what?”

Sara sticks out her tongue to him, “Not everything, he got Mom’s patience. I got all the bad habits of my father, like leaping over cliffs without thinking, or my bad jokes. Sadly for Scott, Dad seems to have used me as a model for SAM humour. You can’t imagine how awful it is to listen to an AI telling your bad jokes.”

“Sometimes, Little Wisp, ignorance is bliss. Now put yourself comfortable, we got almost an hour before we arrive at Govorkam.”

She unfolds her legs slowly, stretching like a cat in the little space of the cabin chair. “Then I’ll go to stretch my legs.” When he chuckles softly, she punches him while passing beside him. “Try to spend the past months sleeping after a nap of 600 years, and we can talk about cramps on your legs.”

“Point taken, sleeping beauty. I’ll order a collar with my number on it, this way someone will call me if you fall asleep again in the middle of nowhere.” Looking over his shoulder, Reyes sees her reaching the cargo bay. Extending her arms, she uses the bars on the roof to stretch her upper body, leaving her full weight fall on her arms, before raising herself up without so much effort. He turns completely in the chair, facing the door. If she is going to do this on his ship, he, at least, can enjoy the show.

She makes another series before planting her feet on the ground, looking at him over her shoulder. “See anything you like? If I knew I would have an audience, I would have discarded the jacket.”

“I can offer you a bottle of water for the raise on the show.” 

She unzips her jacket and let it over the boxes. “Don’t dream with me in your lonely nights, Mister Vidal.” She goes downs to the floor and start doing flexions, first with the legs together, then open. While on it, she stops on the top of one of it. “How stable is your course route?”

He raises a brow, why the hell did she want to know that? “Stable enough, no change on it until we left the FTL or find something on collision route.” She lowers her chest again, “Good.” Separating her hands wider on the floor, she raises her legs slowly, a little tremor on her body while she put her body vertically over her hands. While on it, she winks at him and starts to lower her weight to the floor.

Reyes snort while shifting his position. “Show off.”

“If you were piloting the ship you will not have to suffer seeing me doing the exercises I need to do to recover my strength.” She makes only five repetitions before leaving her legs to fall again to the floor and stand up, her back cracking when she straightens. “Ah, much better. And the water you promised?”

He moves her to one side of the cargo bay, walking to the end of it. At the upper part of the hull is a hidden cabinet, from where he extracts two bottles of water, throwing one to her. “There you have it.”

Sara drinks her water completely in a long gulp, happily sighing when she ends the bottle. “Much better. Thanks! I’m supposed to have to do a workout every twelve hours, damn Harry and his stupid rules.” She returns to the chair without bothering on putting on the jacket back. “Talking about rules, anything I need to know that will make my life easier in Kadara?”

He follows her and sits in his chair too, giving a quick look at the controls. “I suppose we can use the same that worked for Aria in Omega… Don’t fuck with Keema. Other than that, I’ve been away for weeks, don’t know if Meridian has changed the planet enough to alleviate the tensions between the Exiles and Ditaeon.” 

“Is sad we can’t didn’t make it to the Nexus in time… lots of lives lost thanks to stupid decisions and bad politicians.” She shakes her head, “It’s almost like home, isn’t?” He hums his agreement. “Besides being nice with Keema, which I’m pretty sure I can be, do you think it will be a problem to register me with another name? With any luck, no one will recognise me if no one screams Ryder in the middle of the market area.”

Reyes nods to her, gaze fixed on the console for a moment, “Sure. In fact, you don’t even need to register yourself to enter Kadara Port. But if you prefer, we can do it under a fake name to give you a better shield.” 

“Sara Reilly then.”

Reyes put the name on the manifesto of the ship, to transmit it automatically to the VI of the Port when they dock. “Done.” A soft beep sounded again. “And just in time. Welcome to Govorkam, Sara.”


	3. Kadara pt.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I don't have a beta reading and English is not my first language. Feel free to comment on any error you find! I need your input to improve ;)

The ship leaves FTL with a soft sound, the orange light of the sun blinding her for a moment. When Sara opens her eyes again, she takes in every detail of the system: the orange and yellow nebula to the left, the distant blue of the Scourge, the five planets around the sun.

Reyes is moving his hands over the controls, the ship drifting effortlessly across space. “There, the second planet is Kadara.” The planet comes closer and closer until she can see the colours of it, something like brown and green, making a distorted version of Earth in her mind. “Do you like mountaineering? Because Kadara is full of incredible places to climb.”

Sara smiles softly, searching for something on her omnitool. She finds what she was looking for, and extends the arm for Reyes to see it. It was a photo of her climbing a vertical mountain. “I think that this answers your question. I love climbing mountains, the sensation you got when you put your feets at the top of it is always breathtaking, like conquering something inside yourself.”

“Then you will enjoy the landscape around Kadara Port. The Angaran constructed the city itself at the top of one of the highest mountains in the area.” The controls give another beep, and Reyes starts to tap on the keyboard, sending his ID to the port authorities. A green light shows on the console while they enter the atmosphere of the planet.

When the clouds from the heat of the reentry clear, Sara whistles softly, clearly enjoying what she sees. “This planet is something different.”

The sun is setting behind the mountains when they reach Kadara Port. Reyes had a little private landing area, connected with the main area of the port. They leave the ship to borrow a lift, where they put all their luggage before leaving the landing area. The man who controls the port didn’t ask their names, it seems like Reyes is well known there and no one asked who she is or why is she there. Taking a last look at the sky, Reyes turns the lift to the elevator at the far side of the docking area. “Is late, we’ll get you comfortable, and tomorrow I will show you the city. We can have lunch with Keema, and spend the day visiting the Port.”

“Sounds like a plan. Lead the way, Mister Vidal.”

The descends to the Slums is a long one, but at last the elevator stops. The sun is almost gone, but the light remaining give her a little taste of what she will find on the outside of the city when she can risk a visit. They climb a set of stairs and Reyes opens the door to the upper lever of what Sara thinks is supposed to be a nightclub or similar. Following Reyes, she takes a good look at the people there, some angarans mixed with humans, turians, asari and krogans. The hiss of a door distract her, and when she turns to the sound, Reyes is already waiting for her inside a private room of the nightclub. She steps inside, the door closing behind her, and she crosses her arms waiting for him to talk. The lift takes up almost all the remaining space of the room. Reyes moves to the opposite wall from the door, his hand passing over a disguised panel, the biometric sensor accepting him and opening a secret door. “Welcome to my humble home, Sara Ryder.”

She looks with an arched brow to the door. The narrow passage opened on the wall shows is dark and not big enough for the lift. “I hope this is bigger on the inside, Reyes.” 

His laugh is something different now they are in his place, more free and happy. “Don't worry, Sara. I didn't bring you to another system to make you sleep in a closet. Sadly, we will have to carry your bags in hand. But I'm sure you will love my little place.”

She picks the bags she can put over her shoulders and a couple of boxes, moving aside to let Reyes pick some boxes too. Reyes walks a couple of steps ahead of her, and when he enters the passage, the space lights on, showing a rock wall filled with orange lights. They follow it for around a hundred yards when Reyes stops in front of another door. This one works with code, and he leans the boxes against the wall to mark it on the console. The door open slowly, and Sara immediately knows that she will love the place. A big set of windows covers one of the side of the main room, the view showing part of the darkening landscape, with a hint of a lake on one side and mountains to the other. He moves into the room and put the boxes on a table, beckoning her to join him. When she leaves her boxes there, her eyes are taking every possible detail of the room: the comfy looking set of couches, the big screen on the wall, the kitchen, the set of doors on both sides of the chamber. His giggle breaks the spell, and she blushes a bit, knowing that she has been staring at another person home. 

Reyes takes the bags from her shoulders, “Take a sit, I will go for the rest of the boxes.”

When he leaves the room she moves to the windows, the fading sunlight showing her the different colours of this planet. Everything looks different here; the plants have vibrant colours, the water looks turquoise from when she stands. Clouds cover the top of the mountains she can see. ‘Spirits, this planet is gorgeous!’

She is so distracted that she didn't hear the door opening and closing, or the steps on the metal floor nearing her. When Reyes appears on her field of vision, she jumps, startled, earning her a new set of laughs from the man. “Like what you see?”

She turns to him with a grin on her face, looking at him from head to toes. “Yes, very much, thanks.”

He laughs again, turning to the kitchen. “Ok, as much as I enjoy our harmless flirting, I'm starving. Come, and I'll show you your room, and you can unpack while I make something to eat.”

Following him to the door behind the kitchen area, she finds herself in a little room with a small round window. The room is big enough to have a single bed and a drawer. “I know is not a hotel, but space is a luxury in Kadara, and I'm lucky enough to have this little haven.”

She puts a hand on his shoulder and squeezes it before releasing him. “It's perfect, Reyes. Thanks for letting me stay with you.”

He smiles softly before leaving the room, “You're welcome. The bathroom is beside my room at the other side of the chamber. You need help moving the bags?”

“No, I'm fine. You cook, I carry.”

They leave the room, Reyes staying inside the kitchen and starting to search things on the cabinets while Klia moves to the table and picks as many boxes as she can. She unloads the boxes on the floor near the drawer and comes back to pick the rest. Reyes is humming a song Sara didn't know while he works, and she smiles to herself, opening the bags and starting to put her clothes on the drawers. She ends quickly with the boxes. Travelling light is easier, as her time chasing artefacts across the Traverse had taught her. She let her sleeping clothes over the bed, together with the toiletry bag, hoping to have a shower before going to sleep.

When she leaves the room, Reyes had two plates on his hands and is moving to the table in front of the couch. She waits for him in the kitchen, helping him to bring to the table the rest of the items they will need to eat. When she is seating, he returns to the kitchen, coming back with a bottle in his hands. “Angaran wine, well I'm not sure about the ‘wine’ part, but is what they drink with their meals and tastes good.”

“Let me decide it, Mister Vidal. Bring the booze!”

Laughing again, he sits beside her and serves the so-called wine in the glasses. When both of them have a drink in hand, Reyes raises it to toast. “To your second adventure in Andromeda.”

She toasts with him, smiling broadly, “Let's hope this time I didn't fry my brain killing a crazy little evil man.”

“Yes, please. I'm ready for a long holiday season.”

She puts down the glass, sitting more comfortably. “ Reyes, if you consider trekking with me across Kadara a vacation, we need to speak about what you do for a living.”

She takes the plate, something that looks like meat and smashed potatoes, and put it on her knees. Reyes did the same but waits until she starts to attack it to move his fork. When she takes a bite of the meat, she hums softly. “I’m sure that I don’t want to know what I’m supposed to be eating, but is delicious!”

He chuckles, eating his share of food. “You, my friend, are eating dinosaur leg! The Angaran call it Rylkor, they can be found across the system in several planets. You’ll see them soon enough. They love to roam around the roads, waving their little hands to our cars.”

Sara uses her fork to raise the piece of meat, raising it from the plate. “Dinosaur, really? Like a T-Rex or a Velociraptor?”

“Yep, in fact, is like a mix between the two, I have some pics if you want.”

She looks again at the piece of meat, putting it back on the plate and shrugging. “No, I will see them soon enough. I love surprises.” She cut another piece and chew it happily. “They taste good, by the way.”

They eat in silence the rest of the meal and Sara helps him to wash the dishes before returning to the couch. Reyes put his feet on the table with a contented sigh. “I have some movies if you want to watch one.”

Sara stretches her body lazily, “As much as I’m enjoying your company, I need a shower and lay down. I’m starting to believe that my body still thinks I’m in a coma.”

He chuckles while standing up. “Sure, let me show you the bathroom. Keema said that since Meridian we don’t have water restrictions anymore, you can enjoy a long shower. I’ll go to fetch some fresh towels.”

She leaves the couch to move to her room, picking up her bedclothes and the toiletry bag, waiting for him beside it. The door to his room is ajar, and she can see a double bed dressed in white, covered in cushions. A picture of a place she knows is Earth but can’t say where exactly hanging on the wall. He appears just then, arms full with towels, beckoning her with a movement of his head. “Come here, Little Wisp.” Reyes opens the door just beside his room and steps inside. When she moves with him, she finds herself in a big bathroom, one of the walls is a big mirror over a sink, while the wall in front of the door has a big shower with a crystal partition. He leaves the towels on the surface beside the sink and signals a set of controls on the wall of the shower. “You can decide the temperature and the pressure of the water with this. This button turns the partition translucent, just in case one of us needs to use the bathroom while the other is in the shower.”

She leans casually against the door jab, “And lost the chance to see you nude and dripping? Perish the though, my friend.”

He laughs, throwing her a towel, “You really want me dead, right?.”

She steps aside to let her get out of the little room. “You have agreed to live with me for an unlimited time. You can learn to deal with it or act on it, your call.”

He moves to the couch, shaking his head. “You think Scott will be happy shooting me in the leg or someplace not vital? Because he will shoot me for sure.”

“I suppose that you can ask him nicely.” She sticks out her tongue to him before locking the door behind her, starting to undress, folding the clothes and leaving them in the closed toilet. Stepping into the shower, closing the crystal door and starting to play with the water controls, raising the heat as much as her skin can bear. She washes her hair, even this short she still needs to put a lot of products on it to help her to unknot it, damn curls. Picking a clean towel, wringing her hair with it before starting to dry her body with the towel. Ending with the drying, she wraps the towel around her head while she puts her bedclothes on, an old Alliance t-shirt that belonged to Scott years ago and a pair of yoga pants. Picking her toothbrush, she searches for her toothpaste tube in the bag, until she accepts that she forgot to pick it up. With a sigh, she opens the door of the bathroom, and calls for help, “Reyes, do you have toothpaste? It looks that I forgot to pick up mine.”

She can hear him moving across the other room and uses the time to give a final twist to her hair with the towel, recovering the hairbrush and trying to put some order in her curls. A hand holding a toothpaste tube appears in the opening of the door, and she opens the door completely, hand leaning on her hip. “I’m not going to show you my secret weapons so soon in our relationship, Reyes.”

He puts the tube near the sink, a lopsided grin on his face. “Good to know. I love surprises. And your secret weapons look like a good present to unwrap.”

She blushes, returning the smile while she breaks eye contact with him. “Good job, you made me blush. I will take my revenge, Mister Vidal.”

He closes the door, winking at her in the last moment, but she can hear him clearly through the metal of the door. “Promises, promises.”

She looks at her reflection in the mirror, shaking her head to herself. 'What are you diving into, Sara?' Recovering the toothbrush, she applies some paste on it and washes her mouth. The water from the sink has a metal flavour but is palatable enough. Cleaning the sink and the toothbrush, she returns all her items to the bag, hanging the towel on the towel rod.

Sara leaves the bathroom feeling better than before, still tired but not sleepy, at least for the moment. Reyes is still sitting on the couch, barefoot and with both legs over the cushion. She walks by his side to her room, leaving the bag over the bed and returning to the living area. “The shower has washed my sleepiness together with the rest. The offer to watch a movie is still available, Mister Vidal?”

He chuckles, moving his legs to the centre table and leaving space on the couch for her. “If you ask it so nicely, Miss Ryder, of course, it is. Wanna choose it by yourself?”

Sitting in her corner, she bends her leg on her side, avoiding to touch the couch with her wet hair. “I’ll let you chose this time, but please, nothing turian, please, I’m not in the mood for it.”

“Nothing dense, then. Blasto? Is always like seeing a bad comedy, at least for me.”

She nods, repositioning herself to a more comfortable position. “Blasto will do.” She makes a pistol with her fingers, aiming at Reyes. “Enkindle this! Bang!” 

Reyes is laughing when he searches for the movie in his omnitool and sends it to the screen. “Shame on me, killed by a pink slug.”

The intro of the movie starts to sound in the back of their conversation. “This one is not an ordinary pink slug. This one is the first Jellyfish Spectre, and I know a hundred of ways to kill you, human scum.”

Reyes almost drops the pad he was reading a moment ago, laughing so hard thanks to her Blasto impersonation that he ends crying from it. When he recovers his breath, he punches her legs, “You will be the dead of me, Sara. It must be illegal to be this cute and cruel in the same package, not fair, not fair at all.”

“Said the pot to the kettle! Now let me enjoy the idiocy of the Blasto's saga. It always brightens my day, thinking of a universe where this shit has five parts and fans in every known system.”

He recovers the pad, shaking his head. “Alright, alright, I’ll be back to my tedious work, you enjoy the movie.”

Sara remembers clearly some of the scenes of the film, like the one where Blasto flirts shamelessly with a female Krogan, saying that he will teach her what a man with a dozen of quads can do for her libido. But it seems that she was more tired than she thought because the next thing he knows is feeling herself carried away in Reyes' arms to her bed. He has to lean her chest against his to cross the door, and one of the closings of his armour catch her shirt when he tries to put her over the bed. 

“You can wait to have me totally awake for that, Reyes.” She sounds sleepy, but the humour on her voice is undeniable.

With some help from her part, Reyes frees himself from her, covering her head with the covers. “Is this is how you show your gratitude for being a gentleman and not letting you destroy your back on the couch, I’m thinking seriously of not doing it again.”

She uncovers a part of her face while she finds a more comfortable position under the covers, her voice sounding sleepy. “I’m sorry, Reyes. I’m just kidding. Thanks, and goodnight.”

He sighs on his way to the door, closing it softly while whispering ‘Goodnight’ to her. She fell asleep almost immediately, wrapped in the soft sheets, dreaming of the adventures she will leave on this new galaxy.

Sara wakes in the middle of the night, her tired mind trying to decipher where she is. With a quick movement of the wrist, she opens the omnitool, the orange light of it lighting the little room, filled with her boxes and clothes. At last, her mind remembers the last hours, and she breathes deeply to calm the anxiety she is feeling. Deciding that she needs something to drink, she leaves the cocoon of the blankets and moves outside the room. The living area is dark, but the soft light of a pad over the couch shows her that Reyes has fallen asleep working on it. She smiles to herself, remembering his words about sleeping on the couch. Moving as silently as possible, she serves herself a glass of water, drinking it in a single gulp. 

When she leaves the kitchen, she ponders what to do with Reyes’ sleeping form. Seeing the ugly position of his neck, she decides to try and take him to his bed. She activates her omnitool again, selecting the flashlight option but in low intensity. Moving in front of Reyes, she puts a hand on his shoulder and gives him a little shake. She expected some swearing or even a startled jump, but when she founds herself pinned against the couch with a perfect military hold, she got paralysed for a moment. The light from her omni is enough for her to see that Reyes is still fighting with the sleep. “Reyes!”

The sound of her voice seems to punch the correct button in his brain, and he releases her immediately. “Shit, sorry Sara.” He sits back, passing a hand over his face. “Did I hurt you?”

Sara sits back, straightening her shirt. Once settled, she punches his arm. “I’m alright. Can you turn on the lights, please? I think we are awake enough to survive it.” Reyes touches some controls on his omnitool and the ambient light of the room brights low enough to not hurt their eyes. She is rubbing her forearm, the grip he got on her was hard enough to leave some red marks on her skin. He sees it and stands slowly, walking to the kitchen. She follows him, her barefoot feet silents over the cold metal of the floor. She leans against the counter of the kitchen island. “Hey, talk to me, will you?”

Reyes is searching in a cabinet until he finds a bottle of booze and takes a long sip directly from it. His voice sounds distant when he looks over his shoulder, showing her the bottle. “Wanna drink?”

She shrugs, moving beside him and picking the bottle from his hand. “I generally don’t drink nothing stronger than chocolate in the middle of the night, barefoot and in my pyjamas, but I will make an exception for you.” She takes a sip, not a long one, and returns him the bottle with a wink. “Can I sit on the counter? Your floor is terribly cold.”

He almost smiles to her when he puts down the bottle and raises her to sit on the island while he sits in front of her. 

She leans back over her hands and kicks his leg playfully. “I suspected you were Alliance, but your little manoeuvre on the couch confirmed it. It has been years since someone got me with one of those, specifically, since my father taught me the move.”

Taking a sip from the bottle, Reyes only shrugs, “I left that persona on the Milky Way. Here, I’m only Reyes.”

Sara extends her hand, waiting for the bottle. “Good for you. I don’t have the chance. I ran from the Milky Way trying to leave the Ryder’s name behind, but the cosmos seems to have other plans.” When Reyes put it in her hands, she takes a gulp, the burning liquid warming her body. “My father’s shadow followed me through the galaxy. The Alliance worked very hard to tarnish our name that the few friends I maintained after the ‘event’.” She punctuates the word drawing finger quotes. “Stopped calling me Ryder, or even Sara, they call me Sparks and is the way they introduced me to our archaeologist or new unit members. It was the only way to avoid the sidelong glances and the murmurs at my back.”

Reyes recovers the bottle from table where Sara have it, “Sparks, I like it, but Little Wisp suits you better. I enrolled on the Initiative to forget who I was and be someone new, better than before. Sadly for me, I ended being a dark version of what I dreamed of.” A long gulp later, he puts down the bottle, “At least I did something good with Sloane and Kadara Port, even if the methods were more than obscure. I wanted to make a difference, and I did. I brought peace to Kadara inhabitants, and I plan to dismantle the Collective as soon as the Nexus accepts back the Exiles. Until then, we will be a place for every one of them who wants a second chance and a place to live in peace in Heleus.”

Sara smiles at him, crossing her ankles and leaning her hands on the knees. “That’s a lovely thought, Reyes. We made the long journey together; it's a shame we ended fighting against one another. Have you talked with Addison about it? I’m sure she will be happy to help. What happened with Spender opened her eyes about the Uprising and the rightness of their actions.”

Reyes takes another gulp before closing the bottle and leaving it on his back. “Is too late or too soon to have this kind of conversation, Sara.” He jumps back to the floor, helping her to step off the counter. “I’m sorry for startling you at the couch.”

Sara pushes him, a big smile on her face. “I’m a big girl, Reyes. You just took me off guard. Enjoy your victory while it last, I’m not planning to let you surprise me again with those silky moves of you.” Reyes takes her hand in his, raising the arm to check the marks on her skin. The imprint of his fingers is almost invisible. “See? No lasting harm.”

With a last light touch over her skin, Reyes let her hand go, stepping away from her. “I’m sorry anyway. I’ll let you go back to sleep.”

The little snort Sara gives her makes him arch a brow. “Really? You are expecting that I will return to my bed? I am very much awake. I will continue with the movie if you don’t need the couch for more self-torture.”

Reyes almost rolled his eyes, “Fine, let’s burn our brains with Blasto a little bit more. I’ll go to change into a more comfortable clothes. The movie is still on the screen's memory, search for the last scene you remember, and we can follow from there.”

Leaving the kitchen, they walk to the couch where Sara sits in a corner, while Reyes recovers the pad from the floor and moves into his room, returning a couple of minutes later, dressed in sweatpants and a shirt. He brings a blanket on his hands, covering both of their bodies with it when he sits on his side of the couch. She smiles at him, Blasto is fixed on the screen like the hero loves to be remembered, with a girl at his side and a weapon in each tentacle. This time Reyes rolls his eyes to her before lowering the lights to a soft ambient light and shifting on the couch until he finds a comfortable position. They giggle together with the funny dialogues of the movie until sleep catches them. The end of the movie finds them sleeping soundly.


	4. Of couches and Blasto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First morning on Kadara Port for Sara, and Reyes has to learn to deal with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading my little fic! I tried to re-read it a couple of times after writing it, but I'm sure I got a lot of errors. If you find any and want to share it with me to help me to improve, I will be grateful <3
> 
> I used some Spanish in this chapter and added some local mythology. See the end of the chapter for notes and complete info about the Xana.
> 
> I'm totally aware that the chapters are short ones, but I'm in the middle of a pseudo moving and don't have the energy to write all the time I wanted ;)

Reyes starts to regain consciousness slowly. All his body is hurting, and after moving his head a bit, he recognises the hard surface where his face is resting: the arm of his less than an ergonomic couch. When he tries to sit, an extra weight over his legs and hip stops him. Looking down, he finds Sara sleeping leaning on his thighs, legs dangling over the armrest and the blanket pooled around Reyes’ feet. If the pain on his back has been lesser, he will let himself enjoy the moment, but it’s turning unbearable with every minute he remains conscious. Reyes tries to move away from her, turning to lay on his back in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure on his punished bones. Sara is sleeping soundly, and when he turns, she stirs and crawls up until she rests her face on Reyes’ belly, sighing happily. He covers his eyes with a hand, massaging the temples softly, _‘I knew it was a bad idea letting her stay with me. Maldita sea, ¿en qué me he metido?'_ He tries to move again, sliding slowly to the edge of the couch.

When he has a foot on the floor, Sara moves a hand and returns it to its original position. Giggling softly, she looks up, leaning her chin on his abs, “You are a terrible pillow, Reyes. I can’t sleep with all this movement. Show some respect for the convalescent.”

Reyes softly growls, covering his eyes again. “Me estás matando.” Taking of the hand, he looks at her; she is grinning at him, even with the sleepiness write clearly on her face. “Sara, as much as I like to lay with you, this couch is even more uncomfortable than I remember, and I need to stand and straighten my back.”

Sara feigns a pout before sitting on her heels, stretching her arms and back lazily against the back of the couch. “Ok, let's get moving then. Let me know if you need help with your sore muscles. I learned a thing or two on my days on Thessia.”

The blanket falls to the floor when Reyes sits, bones cracking when he moves to stand. “I always think of buying a new one every morning I wake up on the couch, but I never find the time to do it.”

When he gives a pained grunt when turning his head to one side, Sara stands up and take his hand, leading him to her room, laughing hard when he starts to babble against the idea. “I’m going to give you a massage to ease the pain on your neck. You can put your mind to rest, Mister Vidal.” With a soft push, he falls over the blankets of the bed while she starts to search inside her bag. When she finds what she was looking for, she returns to the bed, forcing him to lay on his front and straddling his hips. She raises his shirt until he has no other option than taking it off if he didn’t want to have it pooled around his face. Opening the bottle on her hands, the scent of something fruity fills the air. She put a good dose of it on her hand, warming it while she closes the lid and puts the bottle on the bed. Spreading out the liquid between her hands, she starts to undo the knots on Reyes’ back. “You neck is a minefield, my friend. And I can say that not all the damage comes from the last night. What are you doing with this beautiful body of yours? Turian yoga?”

He moves a hand to kick her leg, “Saving you was stressful.” His outburst gets lost between some soft moans when she finds a specially knotted area on his neck and works on it.

Sara giggles, her hands working insistently on his sore muscles, “Well, you saved me, that’s true. Maybe with a little help from the rest of the system and my brother, but I will not crush your ego this early in the morning.” She moves his hand to his back, her thumbs drawing the outline of his column. “Your back is a mess, Reyes. Can I use some biotics or will you run for your life when I flare?”

He turns his face to look at her over his shoulder, “Running away with you sitting on my legs will prove difficult even for me, Little Wisp. But no, use your magic.”

The blue light of her powers activating washes over the walls and the bed sheets. Her hands feel warmer against Reyes' skin, and a little vibration flows from her fingertips, easing the tension on his muscles. When she returns to his neck, her fingers scratches his scalp softly while her thumbs were drawing circles on the base of his skull. Reyes shivers, fighting to keep the moans under control, “I can get used to this, Sara.”

Without stopping her fingers’ movement, she let her powers fade. “You are welcome. Ask for it whenever you need it.” Reyes can’t see the grin on her face when she leans over him to whisper in his ear. “Maybe next time I can take your clothes off in a position that let me enjoy the show.”

Another shiver moves through Reyes’ body, “I’m gonna die. At least promise me that you will give me a quick death when your brother comes for me.”

Softly laughing, Sara sits back before moving away from him. “Make me some breakfast and let me buy you a new couch, and I’ll promise to protect you against my brother’s ire.”

Reyes pushes back until he is sitting on his heels, testing his back and neck while stretching. “Let’s see what I have for you. We’ll talk about the couch thing later.” Leaving the bed, he recovers the shirt, putting it on while Sara waits near the door. “You did magic, Sara. Thanks a lot. I feel better than I felt since I awaken from the stasis.”

With a wink and a soft smile, Sara leaves the room and moves to the kitchen, waiting for him to join her. When Reyes appears at the door, his face is sporting a mischievous grin. Seeing it, Sara leans against the counter and crosses her arms. “You look like the cat who got the cream.”

He shrugs, kneeling in front of one of the cabinets, “I just remembered something Vetra gifted me when your brother still stops in Kadara from time to time.” Recovering something from the cabinet, he hides it behind his back until he faces Sara. “I'll let you keep the toy if we find one.” The package of Blasto’s cereals rattles when he moves it in front of her.

Sara’s smile is so happy that soon they are giggling together. “Spirits, this girl is something special, right?”

Reyes nods, giving her the box while he recovers a pair of bowls from the cabinet, opening a drawer to pick up two spoons. “Yes. Your brother is a lucky one to have her on the team. I'm a good smuggler, but she is the better provider I have met.” Before leaving the kitchen, Reyes recovers a bottle of water from the fridge, throwing inside a milk capsule. “We are still looking for mammals in this side of the space. But I can’t imagine eating cereals without something that at least remember me of milk.”

Sara is fighting with the opening of the box but stops to put her best Spectre voice “Blasto approves. He will spare your life, for now, human scum.”

Leaving the kitchen, Reyes shakes his head while grinning to her. They reach the couch and sit on it, serving a share of the sweet cereals in each bowl and pouring some ‘milk’ on them. They eat in silence for a while, enjoying the flavour. Sarah is the first to end, giving a happy sigh when she eats the last spoon of cereals. “Thank you very much, Reyes. I will ask Vetra for a couple of boxes more. It can be our treat after a long expedition.”

“I will not say no to a good and healthy breakfast, even when I can hear my mother screaming at me every morning with her ‘the box has more nutrients than the cereals! Eat a toast!’ Well, she said it in Spanish, and with some swearing at the end, but you know what I mean.”

Sara waits until he ends with his breakfast and picks up the bowl from his hands. “Mine was the same, but she urged me to eat more fruit and less fat. And no swearing, in fact, she hated every time she hears one us doing it. She put a Swear Jar in the kitchen when we are still in middle school.”

Reyes gives her a lopsided grin, “Well, she said them, a lot, but chastised me every time I said one in front of her. Yeah, she was someone special.”

Seeing the sad smile on his face when he talks about her, Sara put the bowls on the side table and reaches for his arm, caressing his bicep and shoulder. “Hey, she is still here. Is part of yourself, in everything you do, everything you knew. A mother is not only a Gen provider, is a human being shaper. They moulded us and gave us the tools to finish the work.” Reyes is looking at her with a surprised frown. “And now is time for you to go and take a shower before I begin to praise your well-defined body and lost all my credibility.”

He stands, shaking his head, the sad frown gone and turned into a smile. “Yes, the sun is not high enough, and I don’t have enough coffee on my body, to survive this kind of conversation.” He enters his room while she moves to the kitchen.

Sara washes the dishes from the breakfast and starts to search the cabinets for some coffee or a substitute. She is kneeling searching on the low cupboard from the kitchen island when a low whistle startles her, making her head hit the counter. “Fuck!” She is nursing her head while sitting on her calves, looking around with a single eye.

Reyes is leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. He is wearing a dark light armour, not much different to the one he wore the first time she met him. His hair is still dripping water, unruly falling over one side of his forehead. “Sorry for startling you, Sara. But the show deserves some sign of appreciation.”

The pain is already receding, and Sara opens her legs to sit on her ass, still massaging her head. “Yeah, yeah, I’m getting repaid tit for tat. But don’t go too far or I will have to make you walk shirtless around the house as payment.”

He giggles, moving closer to her and extending his hands to help her stand. “My, oh, my! What an excruciating torture it will be.”

When Sara is in front of him, she passes her fingers between the leather closings of his armour, pushing him to move closer to her, a mischievous smile plastered on her face. “My, oh, my, Reyes. Maybe I will be the one running around shirtless. It will be fun to see the great Reyes Vidal fighting to look anywhere but me.”

Reyes takes a deep breath through his teeth, hissing softly at the image she was conjuring on his mind. “Eres la encarnación de la tentación, mi pequeña súcubo.” When she hits his ribs softly after letting the armour go, he shakes his head softly, “You are a temptress. Maybe I have to change my nickname for you. I start to believe that you are a Xana, and like in the old tales, you will bring me a cruel death if I fail your tests.”

Sara takes a step back and starts to search on her omnitool, while Reyes looks at her with a knowing smile. After a while, she grunts, hitting him again in the ribs. “I can’t find a word about what a Xana is.” She closes the omnitool and crosses her arms, “Start talking or I will use my N7 moves to pin you down and make you confess even the colour of your underpants.”

Laughing hard, Reyes walks swiftly to the other side of the kitchen island, “Black.” She flares briefly, leaning her hands on the counter. He raises his hands, still laughing. “Fine, fine! Come here. I got some info on my omnitool. I brought a lot of info about Spanish culture, knowing that the Initiative will ‘forgot’ to add this kind of details on their big archives.” He opens the omni, making the screen big enough for her to see it too, and loads the file with the folklore myths. An image, clearly a painting from the old ages of Earth, appears on it:

Sara looks at him with a crooked brow, but he points to the screen for her to read the description.

_'The Xana is a character found in Asturian mythology. Always female, she is a creature of extraordinary beauty believed to live in fountains, rivers, waterfalls or forested regions with pure water. She is usually described as small or slender with long blonde or light brown hair (most often curly), which she tends to with gold or silver combs woven from sun or moonbeams.'_

She reads the description of the mythological being avidly, her smile growing on her face. When she stops to look at Reyes, he simply shrugs and moves the text to a point he wants her to read. “Here, this is the part I’m starting to relate to you, besides the part of the extraordinary beauty and all the blah blah blah.”

 _‘The stories about Xanas can be divided into four broad categories. First, stories in which the Xana has a child. Second, stories of Xanas who suffer spells. Third, Xanas who possess treasures and riches. Finally, stories about Xanas who are malicious._  
_Between the stories, the more related is the one called ‘The snake woman’: The Xana is bewitched, and to undo it, the Xana challenge the hero to test his courage. She will turn into a monstrous serpent, and he will have to let her coil around his body until he can kiss her mouth. IF he did it, the Xana would be free from the enchantment, giving him her treasure or herself if it is what he asked, If he fails, the Xana will chastise him in different ways, some of them including death or incurable sickness.’_

Sara turns to face him completely when she ends reading. “Ok, Mister Vidal. I’m still deciding if I feel flattered or offended.”

Closing the screen on his wrist, Reyes shrugs. “Same here. I'm still deciding if you want me dead or alive, because you are working very hard on the first one, my little Xana.”

With a soft chuckle, Sara hits his shoulder. “This solitude of you is starting to destroy your mind, my friend. I'm not that beautiful, and my hair is considerably shorter, as you can see. The water part is true enough, give me a lake, and you will lose me for hours.”

Feigning that she has hurt him, Reyes is nursing his shoulder with a pout on his face, which makes Sara start laughing hard. He tries to look offended and fails, joining her. A soft beep from Reyes omnitool breaks the moment. He takes a quick look, softly smiling at the little screen. “We have an appointment for lunch, Miss Ryder. The ruler of Kadara wants to meet you.”

Raising her hands to cover her cheeks, she tries to put a scared face. “Spirits! I don't have any dress for the formal lunch! Shame on me!”

Reyes grunts and pokes her in the ribs. “In moments like this, I'm grateful for the accident on your stasis pod. Heleus will be doom with you as the Pathfinder.”

She shrugs exaggeratedly, “What can I say? The Milky Way didn't understand my humour, and looks like Andromeda will be the same.” Winking at him, she turns to leave the room, stopping at the door to look at him over her shoulder. “Besides, if I was the Pathfinder you will not have the chance to enjoy my company. Thanks to it maybe you will discover how much I like to wrap myself around my partners and how hard I can bite.”

Sara leaves the kitchen, hearing Reyes grunting from the door of her little room. The mischievous smile didn't leave her while she searches in her bag for clean clothes. The pair of trousers from yesterday are over the chair, and she puts them on, the shirt she had chosen will make Reyes grunt for sure: a stretch tank top with a Blasto’s picture on it, the words ‘Enkindle this!’ written over the breasts. She is laughing when she puts the boots on, picking a black hoodie and the toiletry bag before leaving the room. Reyes is still in the kitchen, brewing something in a little kettle when she passes by the door. Leaving the hoodie on the couch, she moves into the bathroom, splashing her face with cold water, washing her teeth and picking a brush to comb her unruly hair to a more acceptable state. After some minutes, she decides that this will be the better she will have without washing it again, and storing the items in her bag again, she leaves the room.

Reyes is seating on the couch armrest, mug at hand. Something herbal is perfuming the room. He looks at her, raising a brow and trying to hide his grin behind the mug. “Really? I will take you to meet the most important person on Kadara, and you put on a Blasto t-shirt?”

She moves closer to him, crossing her arms. “Hey! I already slept with the most important person on the planet, Mister Vidal. Besides, each of us brought to Heleus something remarkable of our Galaxy and I chosen Blasto’s saga. Seeing those stiff Angaran, I think they need to know about him.”

Shaking his head, Reyes gives her a second mug before sitting on the couch and crossing his legs. “Try not to make them want to kill you, if possible.”

Sara let her body fall beside him, taking care to not splash any hot water over any of them. “Hey! I'm charming as hell! They will love me.”

“Sure… have you read Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy? Which Hell do you think is yours? Never mind. Taste the tea. Is an Angaran plant, they brought it from Aya.”

Sniffing the cup, she takes a tentative sip, smiling when the flavour hits her tongue. “Good! It tastes like a sweeter version of black tea! I like it, a lot! We need to talk with Suvi about it.”

Taking a gulp from his mug, Reyes nods to her. “Is the strongest think they have, but until we can grow our own plants, I'm buying this.”

Sara stands up, moving closer to the big window and taking in the landscape now that she have enough light for it. The window is constructed very close to the next mountain, but looking to the right, she can see some kind of lake, with turquoise waters, big mountains on the other side of it. The top of them is covered in dark and thick clouds, and the light of the sun painted everything in a soft orange light. Turning to face Reyes, she finds him standing beside her, looking to the sky with a satisfied grin. “What's the plan for the day, Reyes?”

“I'll show you Kadara Port until midday. We need to buy some supplies anyway. At lunch time we will meet with Keema at her office, and after that, we'll walk that path when we find it. If we have light enough maybe we can make a little excursion outside, if not, we can enjoy the view from the top of the mountain.”

Sara rests her palm against the window, “I hope we have the time for a short stroll outside. Your planet looks beautiful from here. I'm sure I'll fall in love with it as soon as I can trek those mountains.”

He picks the empty mugs to leave them on the table before returning beside her, softly pushing her with his shoulder. “I'm sure you will love the landscape. We’ll try our best, but even if we can't leave Kadara today, my favourite spot on the Port has one of the best views I found on the planet.”

She nods, turning away from the window with a soft smile on her face. “Yeah. I'm sorry if I sound a bit eager. I spent almost all my adult life living outside, never been in the same place for a long time since I joined the Alliance. I need to see everything, feel every rock, touch every plant and swim in every mass of water I found. It's part of who I am.”

Reyes dismisses her apologies with a movement of his hand. “I can relate. And I assure you that I will show you everything you want to see, but only when we are equipped for it, and our lives are not at risk.”

With a soft growl, Sara crosses her arms, tilting her head to one side. “Spirits! Where is your thirst for adventure?”

Moving to pick up the mugs from the table, Reyes turns to look at her. “I'm living with a Xana. My life is adventurous enough. No need to run into a group of outlaws and ask them nicely to not shoot at us.”

Shrugging dramatically, Sara sits back on the couch, “Suit yourself, then. I must say it anyway. Scott may have a Krogan, but you have me. I’m more than meets the eye, my friend.”

He moves to the kitchen, shaking his head, and she stands and follows him, leaning against the island while he washes the dishes. Reyes looks over his shoulder to check if she was with him in the room or not. “Sara, I do not doubt you or your capabilities. But I know this planet and its dangers. Let me do this right, please. Even if we can't go outside the Port today, I promise to take you tomorrow to the farthest place we can go. Deal?”

Sara raises her hands in surrender, “Ok, ok! You are right, of course you are. Sorry, I know I'm sounding like a pampered child being denied. I will be happy to visit Kadara Port with you, but you have to let me buy you a drink, at least”

Reyes wipes his hand in a kitchen rag, turning over his heels to face her and leaning against the cabinets. “Sounds like a good deal to me, Sara.” Taking a quick look to his omnitool, he checks the hour. “If you are ready to go, we can start moving. Keema is expecting us in around three hours, and I know you will love to roam the area for as long as you can before it.”

Walking swiftly, Sara leaves the kitchen and enters her little room, picking up her wallet from one of the bags and checking inside for the credit chips. Reyes is awaiting her outside the room, reading something on his omnitool. “Ups, I forgot to ask if we still use credits as currency.”

He nods, still reading something. Thinking that maybe Sara is not looking at him, Reyes raises his head, finding Sara sitting on the bed and hiding a long knife on her boot and another on her back. “Yeah, credits are fine. We have made a pact with the Angaran, buying their products with credits instead of exchanging them from ours, and now they can buy our items with our currency.” She looks like she is missing something, touching her back with a hand. He returns to his omnitool, but the grin on his face is growing, and he has to look at her again. “You can bring your sidearm with you, if the holster is not in clear view, no one will say you a single word about it.”

“I’m that easy to read, right? Yeah, I will feel better knowing that I have my Carnifex ready for action. Not that I need a weapon to defend myself, but it is easier that way.” Sara opens one of the boxes that she stored near the bed, picking up a pistol and a holster. “I’m going to take off my shirt, suit yourself if you want to enjoy the view or not.” She didn’t wait to see if he leaves or stay, taking off the tank top and fixing the holster in her lower back. Searching inside the bag again, she picks up a big sportive shirt, large enough to hide the form of the weapon if you are not searching for it.

After putting it on, she turns to find Reyes is still there, leaning against the door frame, a lopsided grin on his face. “We are even now, Sara.”

With her hands leaning on her hip, she returns the grin with a wink, “You only have to ask, politely of course, to see the rest, Mister Vidal.”

Reyes grunts loudly before turning his back to her, moving to his room, mumbling to himself. “I survived a journey to another galaxy to die because of a crazy girl. ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto? Quizá sí---.” He shakes his head, “Stop that!”

Sara is following across the room, stopping beside the couch to recover her hoodie, listening to his babbling with a smile on her face. He was talking in Spanish, and even if she didn’t understand the words, the meaning is clear for her. The stoic Reyes Vidal is starting to bend to her will. This little excursion looks more appetising each hour she passes with him or maybe is him and his velvety voice. The uncovering of the mysteries of Heleus is starting to move to the second place in her mind, deciphering Reyes will be a more satisfying work, in more ways than she planned that first night on Meridian.

When Reyes leaves his room, he is checking a Sidewinder before fixing it in a concealed slot on the back of his armour. “Ready to take your first real look to Kadara Port?”

She puts the hoodie without closing the zipper, nodding to him. “Lead the way, Reyes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Maldita sea, ¿en qué me he metido? - Damn, What have I gotten myself into?  
> Me estás matando  
> \- You are killing me.  
> Eres la encarnación de la tentación, mi pequeña súcubo - You are the embodiment of temptation, my little succubus  
> ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto? Quizá sí... - What have I done to deserve this? Maybe if...
> 
> Info about the Xana: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xana (they are similar to Lamias, in case you know the legends from the Greek mythology.


	5. Discovering Kadara Port

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm so happy everytime I enter the a3o and see that more people have readed my story <3 
> 
> This chapter is a little bit longer than the previous ones, hope I didn't hurt your sensibilities with my attacks to the english grammar :P as always, no beta reading, I reread the chapter a couple of times before publishing it, but I'm sure I had a lot of wrong verbs and misplaced pronouns >_<
> 
> This is my Sara, I didn't used the default one, I put the image her to give you an image of her looks: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C7q6aYnUwAIZRMK.jpg

A soft beep sounds from the little console beside the door when the biometric scan detects Reyes and opens the door. “Come on, Little Wisp.” He moves aside to let Sara leave the condo first, following her and closing the door behind them. The hallway is as narrow and darker as she remembers, but the few lamps that turn on when they move along the hallway gave enough light to walk by it without incidents. In the end, the closed door awaits them, and Sara searches for the code on the omnitool, typing it on the mechanical keyboard beside it. A green light shows at the door when she ends with the code, and the door opens with a hydraulic hiss. Reyes closes the door behind him, “Sara, take a look here. You need to know where the sensors are or you will be stuck in my cosy office.” When she moves closer to him, he moves a hand near an almost invisible junction in the middle of the wall. The biometric sensor detects his hand, opening the door again. “Give it a try. I stored your profile on it, but it will be good if we can test it, in case we need to adjust it.”

When the door closes again, and Reyes steps back from the wall, Sara moves closer to it, moving her hand near the point she remembers Reyes has used. The sensor detects her, opening the door again. “I’m officially your flatmate! Can I change the colour of the curtains and put some flowers and plushies around the main room?”

“Thanks, but no, thanks. Knowing your tastes, I will end with pink curtains and a giant Blasto laying on my couch.” Reyes is moving already to the outside door of the room, opening it for her. 

Once outside, the bass of the music is echoing on the metal walls, some early drinkers leaning against the railway or sitting on the couches. Sara takes a look over her shoulder and sees Reyes closing the room and following her. “You made an interesting choice for your office, Reyes.”

He chuckles softly, “Wait ‘til you see the rest of Kadara Port. You will understand my decision.”

When the door of the club closes behind them, the silence of the Slums greets them. Sara takes a quick look to her left, where the sun is already shining over the turquoise surface of a lake just outside the palisade. With a sigh, she turns to follow Reyes to the ground level. He sees the longing on her gaze, and taking a quick look to his omni, he grabs her hand and starts to drag her to the big metal door. “We will take a quick look, a really quick one. I’ll bring you to the depuration plant near the lake. Be ready, the area around Kadara is usually a secure one, but one never can be careful enough.”

Sara moves her hand to interlock her fingers with his, the gesture making him look at her over his shoulder. “I’ll do. Thanks, Reyes.”

Feeling very grateful for his dark skin, Reyes moves decidedly to the door. The room inside it has lost its utility after the end of the Outcast but still serves as a protective measure against the local fauna, at least. Once outside, when the hiss of the closing door severs their connection to the Port, Reyes move his hand to unholster his weapon, just in case. They pass beside a Forward Station. It lays near a crossroad just outside the Slums. Sara’s gaze is moving like a hummingbird over all the details around them; the orange light of the sun a stark contrast against the sea of clouds and the dark blue sky. The mountains around them are high, with vertical sides perfect for free climbing. Reyes squeezes her hand, signalling to their left when she looks at him. The lake is almost ethereal from this distance, the shades of blue and turquoise, together with the red and orange plants were like a feast for her sore eyes. “Spirits, Reyes. Is beautiful!”

He smiles at her, tugging her hand until she follows him to a platform overlooking it. “Here, better seats in the house.” With a big smile on her face, she squeezes his hand before letting it go and moving to lean on the railway. Reyes can swear that he is listening to her brain working hard to memorise every detail she sees. He leans his hip against the railway too, eyes roaming around them searching for any danger. “There is a bigger one near the Angaran relics I want to show you. All the area is covered in lakes and pools like this. They were toxic and dangerous before the activation of the Vault, but now they are like any wild mass of water; fun for a swim, bad to drink.”

Sara turns her face a bit to look at him, and when he moves his gaze away from her, she raises over her toes and plants a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for taking me here, Reyes. We can go back now. You can show me the rest of the planet in your terms when you feel we are ready for it.”

Reyes is still looking away from her; eyes fixed on a distant group of Wild Adhi. “You are welcome. And as much as I like to remain here enjoying the breeze, the local fauna is starting to get interested in us.” When she looks at him, moving away from the railway, he just signals to the east with his weapon. “There. Did you see them? Those are Adhi. Some groups of Roekaar and Outcast has domesticated them and uses the dog-a-like animals as hunting dogs.”

Sara nods to him, unholstering her weapon when her eyes roam on the opposite direction. “Well, Reyes. I think our little date has come to an abrupt end.” When he looks at her with an arched brow, she moves her head to the side, signalling to her left. “We have company, and this one is big enough to make me feel nervous about my lack of armour and firepower.”

Reyes grabs her hand again, starting to walk back to the Slums without taking his eyes from the big animal who is already moving in their direction. “That, my friend, is an Eiroch. And you are right about it; we need more firepower to end it. What we have with us right now will only serve to piss him off.” She is giggling behind him when they reach the security of the control room, barring the doors behind them. “Wanna share the joke?”

She returns the pistol to the holster, moving to sit on the desk near the inner door. “Not a joke. I just remember the time I pissed off an Elcor enough to charge on me.” Sara is giggling again, “Well, as much as you can call something running against you at a very slow pace but feeling like being hit by a Mako. I only survived with all my limbs intact thanks to my biotics, but it was fun as hell. Later I bought him a full bottle of Elasa, and he let me ride him when we leave the bar that night. Good days on the Silean Nebula.”

Reyes is hiding his pistol on his back, a lopsided grin plastered on his face. “God, we need to buy a good load of booze and spend a couple of nights talking about your adventures on the Milky Way.”

Moving swiftly from the desk, Sara jumps to the ground in front of him. “Let’s see what kind of poison we can buy in your lovely planet.” 

Leading the way, Reyes opens the inner door and starts walking to the lift. There are a couple of humans and a turian climbing the stairs on the other side of the club, but no one pays any attention to them while they cross the open area. The lift is already there, and Reyes selects the destination when they step inside. 

The elevator moves slowly, and the dark walls of the rock around them engulfed the low light of the hubs on the side of it. With a chuckle that catches Reyes attention, Sara winks to him with a mischievous smile on her face. “I always thought about how hot will be to stop a ride to take another kind of ride, like in the old movies from Earth.”

Reyes growls to her, turning his back to her, which makes her giggle even more. “Maybe someday, Little Wisp. For your information, I got the controls for the lift and can block it or stop it whenever I judge necessary.”

A gasp is her first answer, “Spirits, your formal talking is hot! I like it.”

Another growl, lower this time, accompanies the sound of the brakes of the lift. “You are killing me. Maybe I'm worrying about the wrong Ryder.”

She chuckles, moving beside him and kicking his shoulder with enough force to move him. “Of course you are! Scott is like a boy scout, and I'm more like… don't know, maybe an Amazona? Mother loved to call me that as a child.”

Reyes’ hand moves to cover his eyes while he takes a deep breath. “Marvellous. Because my brain just needed an image of you as a warrior with a sexy leather armour and a tendency of ravishing young soldiers.”

Sara is laughing hard, waiting for the doors to open. “Not my fault. Is your brain! Give him something to think about or the image will haunt you all day.”

“You will be a pain in my ass, do you?”

Sara giggles again, “If I can choose, I prefer for you to give me pain in the ass.” The movement of her brows is so annoying but funny at the same time that Reyes can't resist it and joins her, chuckling softly.

The doors to the market open, and Reyes leaves the lift shaking his head. “Come on, Little Wisp, before you fry my brain even more.” 

A lot of people is moving across the area, mainly Angaran, but some Asari, Turians and Humans among them. Sara even spotted a pair of Krogans behind the counters of a couple of shops. 

Turning to face her, Reyes opens his arms in front of her. “Welcome to Kadara Port, Sara.”

With a big smile on her face, she walks to the centre of the area, taking a quick look around. Her brain is already working to memorise every little detail for a further study later. “Show me the house, Reyes.”

With a nod, Reyes signals with his hand a set of stairs that lead to a little balcony overlooking the market. When they reach the platform, Reyes starts to point different areas. “That door to our right is the access to the landing area, below us we have another access. See the neon lights at there? That's Kralla's Song, the best pub in the area. Umi is a funny and very direct Asari. She has some interesting tales about your brother’s adventures here too. To the left, we have the market. They sell Milky Way items and now that we made a pact with them, some Angaran too.” His right-hand raises, pointing directly to the far end of the area. “And below the prominent and strident neon lights is Keema’s office, where we will meet with her in an hour and a half.”

Sara is grinning happily, “Nice presentation. Now give me a personalised tour around the area, we still have to buy things, right?”

Moving away from the railway, Reyes tilts his head in the stairs direction. “Then let's get moving, we have a lot to do, and we are short of time thanks to a little woman who loves to lost time looking to the landscape.”

Sara pushes him, feigning being offended by his words. “Hey! Not fair, I can't fight it. I love to look lovely things.” And the moment is gone as soon aa she sais her next words. “ Besides, right now your ass is distracting me thoroughly, Mister Vidal.”

Reyes can't hide the chuckle fighting to be free from his chest, giving up before turning to look at her over his shoulder. “Enough, you shameless flirter! Let's go down and start rummaging on the stores before you decide to continue with my personal torture.”

She follows him down the stairs, “I know you love it.”

They reach the main floor of the market before moving to the left, going down another set of stairs. The people there seems to know Reyes, and everyone gives him some salute. Some wave to him from a distance, others nods to him when passing beside them and others verbalise the greeting. The first shop has a lot of weapon mods, and Sara starts to search for her favourite ones. She sees a strange looking shotgun on the next stall and asks about it to the shopkeeper. The female Krogan hummed her agreement with Sara. “You have a good eye, human. This one is a Dhan. Better shotgun you will find on Heleus. Designed by the Kett. It will kick your enemies like a krogan in a blood rage.” 

Sara is testing the weapon, moving it between her hands to asset the weight. “Low cadence with a lot of punch and good for close combat too. I like it already.”

Reyes picks the weapon from her hands, turning it from side to side, examining it in detail. “You got yourself a good one, Kamashi.”

The Krogan nods to him, “I'm entirely aware of it, Vidal. The soldier who sold it to me said he was tired of fighting and was planning to leave the planet and return to his family. I can give you a discount if you want to buy it, for the good times.”

With a wink to Sara, Reyes returns the weapon to the shopkeeper. “Much appreciated, Kamashi. Name your price and we can work on it.”

The Krogan seems to ponder it. At last, she puts the shotgun on the counter, pushing it in Reyes direction. “ 8000 credits, it's what I paid for it plus a little fee, but you now I can get more from it from a raider or even another Angaran.”

Reyes picks up the weapon, moving to put it in Sara’s hand while she digests the price tag. “Thanks. I'll take it.” Before Sara can argue with him, he moves away from the counter, opening his omnitool and executing some commands on it. When he returns and closes his screen, a beep sounds from the one on the Krogan’s wrist. 

The shopkeeper opens her omnitool and checks the number, nodding to them before closing it. “Always a pleasure to deal with you, Vidal. I'll take care of it until you leave, you know I can’t give weapons to Kadara visitors.”

“Of course. We’ll pick it up later.” They say their farewells to the vendor and move outside of the stall. Sara's lips are closed in a thick line, obviously unhappy with the transaction. He shakes his head, moving a hand to stop her movement and forcing her to face him. “Hey, I didn't do it to unsettle you.”

She remains with a stern look, but at least she talks to him. “I know, but I'm not a lady to be pampered.”

Raising her face with a finger under her chin, Reyes gives her his best-lopsided grin. “You earned a formal gift of welcome to Heleus that didn't include a crazy Archon and a race for your life. Let me do this for you, Sara. And think of all the fun we will have with this weapon on our little strolls around Kadara.”

Sara is still looking intently into his eyes, his hand still on her chin. “I'll accept it if you let me buy you a decent couch.” She lowers her voice to a whisper, “I have the intention of falling asleep on it with you now and then, better if we can stay there as long as we want.”

Moving his hand to cup her face, he let the fingers fall away from her before answering. “Fine. Let's see what we can find and pay a visit to Umi before the meeting with Keema.”

On the upper part of the market, Reyes moves inside a shop with an asari behind the counter. “Hello, Isara. I'm looking for some commodities for my place. Did you have anything available?”

“Good morning, Vidal. Your timing is as good as ever. We just received a shipment with some Milky Way items and a full set of Angaran pieces. Take a look at the console and let me know if you need help.”

Reyes and Sara move near the console, browsing the items available at the shop. Reyes marks to buy some things like new towels, a kettle, a big screen and some kitchenware. When they move to the furniture category, Reyes gives Sara the control of the catalogue. She starts to navigate until she finds the couches. The one that he already has was the first on the list. The next one looks uncomfortable with all the metal pieces on the back. After searching for some minutes, the list of candidates is not a long one; only three couches has survived the shifting. She beckons Reyes to join her and take a look; it was for his house, he has to have the last word on it. Pointing to the screen, she starts to show them to him. “I like those three. Which one do you prefer?”

“It will not be a present if I choose it, Sara.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Nonsense. It is for your house in the end. I can joke about it, but I want to buy something you like and only if you are agreeable to it.”

“Fine. Show me the candidates then.” The first one is an oversized version of the one he has, and he shakes his head. “I had one of those in the Milky Way, not as comfy as it looks.” She passes to the next, it was an Angaran design, in dark blue and white colours. “Not bad, let's see the last one to compare.”

Before moving to it, she smiles at him with a confident grin on her face. “I like the last one the most, let's see if you think the same.”

Reyes is already grinning with her when he returns his attention to the screen. A big couch with a chaise longue, wider seats and ample armrests. “I can see the appealing. Let me check the specifications, but I think that it will fit well enough.” Moving to the description of the couch, Reyes takes a good look at the measures of it. “It will work. I'm not sure how we will move it inside the house, but we'll work on it.”

Sara is already talking with the seller, ordering the couch and paying for it in credi-chips. Reyes shakes his head and joins her. After paying for the items he ordered before, he agrees with the seller to send them to his room in the Tartarus. Saying their farewells to Isara, they leave the shop, the mood of Sara has improved thanks to the little chat and the couch considerably. Doing a joyful turn over her heels, she stops when she faces Reyes. “Well, Mister Vidal. Do we have the time to have a drink and meet the infamous Umi?”

With a quick look to his omnitool, Reyes confirms the time, seeing that they have only fifteen minutes until the time of their meeting with Keema. “Sadly for us, no. We have only fifteen minutes free until our date.” His gaze move from her to the area near the stairs, seeing it empty. “Come, we can spend the time enjoying the view.”

Walking directly to the lower part of the stairs, he leans on the railway. The landscape is breathtaking from there; the sea of clouds under them in some points, the brown rocks of the mountain a striking contrast against the blue and grey of the sky. Under them, the ground is very far away with sun shining on the lakes’ surfaces, making them shine under the midday sun. Sara looks mesmerised with the landscape, eyes taking in every colour and shape she can identify, mouth agape in constant awe. When she comes back to the moment, she finds Reyes looking at her with a soft smile on his face. Blushing deeply, Sara puts a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I did it again, sorry Reyes.”

Shaking his head softly, Reyes just shrugs. “No worries here. I'm happy to see how much you like the planet landscape.”

Sara's smile is bright as the sun while she lets her gaze return to the top of the mountains in front of the city. “Saying that I like it is an understatement, Reyes. I love it! The colours are astonishing, the mountains are calling me like a siren song, and those clouds over the mountains? I only saw this kind of beauty in books.”

Reyes hums his agreement, “Yes. It reminds me of Earth sometimes, at least until I see the giant plants and the oversized lizards.”

Sara chuckles, turning to face him, “Coming from a galaxy where a race of giant jellyfish rule their own planet, I will never say a word against oversized plants and animals. At least yours didn't talk in reverb.”

“True enough, but give Heleus time, it may have some surprises stored for us.” An alarm sounds from Reyes omnitool, and he turns it off with a quick wrist movement. “Looks like our free time has ended. Let me guide you to the centre of power of Kadara Port.”

With a sigh, Sara steps back from the railway, following Reyes to the far side of the market area. A bright neon light shines on top of the door, where a couple of guards are talking, Avengers on their hands. One of them sees them coming and disentangles himself from the conversation. “Good morning, Vidal. Keema is awaiting for you and your companion.”

Reyes gives them his thanks and guides Sara inside the building. Some guards are moving around, but no one gives them more than a wave or a nod. Moving to the right, they passed a door, and Reyes chuckled when moving away from it. Sara looks at him with a puzzled frown, “Care to share the joke? I'm getting bored with all this silence.”

He chuckles again, but stop and leans on the wall, signalling the door behind them. “Not a joke, just a nice memory. Your brother kissed me in this room to avoid a guard of finding that I was stealing a bottle of Earth whisky from Sloan's private stash.”

Continuing going down the stairs, Sara stops at the bottom, facing him. “Then gets moving before you feel like repeating your actions. I prefer to have you on my own terms and not in Scott’s Shadow.”

Reyes growls, following her. “God, Sara. You have to turn every conversation in flirting?”

With a shrug and a mischievous grin, she gives him her back but looks at him over a shoulder. “Well, can't fight it. I like flirting, besides you are too easy on the eye to let it pass. We are like an old sitcom, the new shy student and her very handsome and very hot roommate.”

Laughing loudly, he pushes her shoulder. “I will take that I'm the shy student because the rest is very much like your description.”

Is her turn to blush softly, her hand moving again to put away a lock of her hair. “Nothing. Let's move from this awkward conversation, if possible.”

Moving to stand behind her, Reyes forces her to turn around to face him. “Hey, what's the matter?”

Sara sighs, lowering her face to look at their boots. “Nothing to worry yourself about, just old scars that resurface from time to time.”

Reyes forces her to raise her face with a hand on her cheek. “Please don't tell me no one has never told you how beautiful you are because if this is true, I am even happier to have left the blind people of the Milky Way behind me.”

Her face is pinned in place by his hand, but she averts her eyes from him. “It's not like that. Is just-- It's been a long time since someone ignored my name and--” Her hand moves to touch the scar on her left cheek, fingers ghosting over it. “No one called me beauty since I got this. And who called me that before, just forget about it once they saw the rest of my scars.”

His hand leaves her cheek to move to her chin, caressing it with his thumb. “Let me tell you something, even knowing that I'm digging my own grave. I found you extremely beautiful, In fact, more than I can handle with my sanity intact. Besides if someone can't look past the scars that make you the person you are, he or she didn't deserve to look at you at all.”

A soft cough behind them stops the conversation. When they turn to look at the origin of the sound, a cute Angaran rests leaning against the door frame. “Hello, Reyes. I'm interrupting something?”

Reyes' hand leave Sara's face while he turns to face the newcomer. “Hi, Keema. No, don't worry. We are only talking about the assholes who live in our galaxy. Are we late?”

“Not at all. Come inside. I have the table ready, and we will be on our own for a couple of hours. I wanted our guest for myself for as long as we can.” Stepping aside from the door, she moves inside after beckoning then to follow her.

When Sara starts to walk, Reyes puts a hand on her back while walking beside her. “Hey, are you alright?”

She nods, turning her face slightly to look at him. “Yeah. Don't worry. Right now I'm just thinking about the many layers you have, Reyes. Thanks for your kind words.”

With a force she didn't expect he will use against her, Reyes raises her from the ground, moving them aside and out of the direct line of vision from the room in front of them. He put her down near the wall, creating a cage with his body and arms around her without touching her body. “I'm not kind, or polite. I'm only stating a reality, and I will repeat it until you believe it. You are GORGEOUS, not just beautiful. One can get lost in the light of your eyes or with your mesmerising smile. Whoever made you doubt it… God, is a shame they have been dead for 500 years. I'm sure Scott and I will be more than happy to pay them a social visit.”

Sara is blushing again, looking intently to the closings of his armour. “Much appreciated, Mister Vidal. Can we, please, move away from this topic and enjoy the meal with Keema before she has to come for us again?”

Letting go a defeated sigh, Reyes steps back from her. “Fine, Sara. Let's go then.”

He waits for her to join him just outside the room, and guides her inside before turning to close the door behind him. Keema is sitting on her throne with a cigarette in her hand and a cup of something golden leaning on the arm rest. When the door closes, she stands and puts away the cigarette, moving closer to them. “Welcome to Kadara, Sara Ryder. Pleased to meet you at last. Your brother talked a lot about you during his visits.” She closes the distance and raises an arm, fist closed. Sara remembers Vetra teachings and leans her wrist against hers with a closed fist too. The gesture earned her a big smile from the Angaran woman. “I see someone has talked with you about our costumes. Let me greet you in your own way too.” She extends a hand and Sara clasps it, enjoying the new skin texture and fingers configuration. “Nice to meet you, Sara. I'm Keema Dohrgun, leader of Kadara Port and representative of the Collective under direct orders of our mutual acquaintance, Reyes Vidal.”

Reyes crosses his arms, looking at them with a tilted head. “Have you been practising the discourse since the last time? Because it sounds better now that when you talked with Scott about it.”

Keema just shrugs with a soft smile on her face. Maybe is the company, or maybe I got the time to get used to my new position. Come, the lunch is ready.” She turns around and signals a round table in front of what looks like a bar. “Take a seat and tell me your voice of poison, I'll serve the drinks.”

The two of them talk at the same time, “Whisky.” The gesture makes the three of them laugh, but when Keema looks at them from behind the bar and ask how they want it, and they answer “Neat” simultaneously, she was the only one who keeps laughing, the other two are blushing deeply with a soft grin on their faces. When Keema returns with the three glasses, she sits and starts to uncover the plates within Reyes’ help. “I've ordered Angaran specialities, and my human crew helped me to choose the ingredients we needed to adjust them to cover your tastes.”

Sara's faces starts to return to her normal tone, and she takes a long gulp from the glass. “Thanks, Keema. Your planet is astonishing. I can't wait to start with my expeditions.”

They start eating, something that looks like the dinosaur meat she ate yesterday and some kind of salad, vibrant shades of blue and purple substitutes the usual green. “Yes. Reyes said something about archaeological expeditions?”

Sara nods while she swallows the piece of meat she has in her mouth. “I worked with archaeological teams in the Milky Way. We were the bodyguards, but I loved to help them and ended learning a thing or two about relics and how to excavate and treat them.”

Keema stands and walks back to the bar, picking up the bottles with their drinks. “Kadara, in fact, all the Angaran worlds, are waiting for someone who wants to dig out our history and gives us a past to remember, something that existed before the Kett.”

Sara takes the bottle of whisky and serves her and Reyes another glass. “That's the idea. I plan to remain on Kadara until Reyes get bored of me and wants to recover his independence.”

With a laugh and a wink to her, Keema turns to face Reyes. “I'm sure that's not gonna happen, besides you can be a good influence on him. Maybe you can make him leave his dark office more often than I.” Reyes’ napkin flies over the table and ends on Keema’s shoulder. “Hey! Show some respect, I'm the boss here, remember? Good aim, anyway.” She returns the napkin with a soft chuckle.

Picking it up, he puts it again over his leg. "About being away, don't worry. Sara plans to spend a lot of time outside the city. You can truly rule this time, just don't gift my house to anyone.”

“I like your place, but now that I have all the city to build and expand, I'm not thinking about stealing your well-deserved space.” Turning to face Sara again, Keema continues eating and talking with her between bites. “Have you planned how you would survive on the outside?”

Sara signals to Reyes, “I will let him decide. I don't know enough of the perils of your planet to choose wisely."

With a last long gulp, Keema ends with his glass of drink, turning to face directly to Reyes. “Oh, I’m sure she will keep you safe. By the way, a friend of you has sent a present. It will be ready for you in a couple of hours to take a look.”

Reyes raises an inquisitive brown, “And what the present could be, Keema?”

The Angaran refills her glass, picking a couple of red fruits and biting one of them. “Nothing fancy. Vetra thought about your plans before you even made them, as always, and asked the old rascal who travel with her to help to find it for you.”

Reyes' frown turned to one of total surprise, “Wait, are you saying that Vetra and Drack have sent me a present? What kind of present? It will explode when I touch it?”

Keema put down her glass with a sigh, “You never liked surprises, didn’t you? Fine, I’ll tell you. They have found a Tomkah for you. I will suppose you know what it is, right?”

Now is Sara’s turn to look at Keema with a surprised frown. “Are you serious? They really got their hands in a working Tomkah and Drack send it to us instead of New Tuchanka?”

The Angaran stands up, moving slowly to her throne and picking up a pad, giving it to Sara when she returns to the table. “Take a look at that. It came with the big ugly vehicle.”

Sara lights on the pad, and Reyes moves to look at it over her shoulder. In the screen, a mail from Vetra appears:

‘Hey, Sara!

When we talked about your plans on Kadara, the old man and I started to worry about you and Reyes. We have been on the planet long enough to know how dangerous and vicious it can be. Talking about it over a couple of drinks on the Vortex, Drack remembered that they have some Tomkah stored and without fuel to make them work. We made a deal with Morda: She gave us one of them for you, and I get her the fuel she needs for the rest (having activated the vault at H-047c, we have plenty of it). 

Consider it like your little Tempest. It will bring you wherever you need, and you can use it as a mobile home.

Take care out there, and put our names on one of the discoveries you made, as a thank you.

And Reyes, stop reading her letters over her shoulder! Take care of her out there, and don’t let her break you.’

They both chuckled, rereading the mail. Reyes is the first to move away, going back to his chair. “God, a Tomkah! We can face everything this planet threw on us with it!” He turns to Keema again, “Tell me the cannons are working fine, and I will leave this room with my mood over the clouds.”

“Yes, they are. And a full batch of munition came with the vehicle. Vetra has everything ready for you to take and enjoy it.”

Sara is shaking her head, with a lovely smile on her face. “I’m going to kiss her the next time I see here.”

A knock at the door signals the end of their private meeting, and Keema takes the lead, standing from her chair and leaning her hands on the table. “It’s been my pleasure to meet you, Sara. Please, drop by whenever you want or can, and bring Reyes with you. He may live here, but I don't see him enough.”

Standing too, Sara extends her arm with the fist closed and awaits for the other woman to answer the salute. “I’ll do, Keema. Nice to meet you too. Thanks for the meal, the drink and the present you stored for us.”

“You are welcome. Now, if you excuse me, I have a city to attend.”

She walks with them to the door, where Reyes clasps her shoulder and nods to her. “I’ll send you a mail with some details of our little excursions. Have fun here, Keema.”

“Same to you. Take care out there, and come back with a good story to share.” Keema opens the door and lets a pair of guards move inside, followed by an Angara who carries a load of pads. Sara and Reyes nod to them before leaving the room and closing the door.

Reyes pushes Sara's shoulder playfully, “We have a Tomkah!”

Sara giggles with him, making a thumbs up, “That we do! Have we time to buy what we need to turn it into a mobile home?”

Starting to climb the set of stairs, Reyes beckons to her. “Let's see what we can find.”


	6. Of couches and boxes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I sucks chosing titles xDDDDD
> 
> Again, thanks for reading!! No beta, so all the errors are mine, be kind with me :P English is not an easy language for a spanish person ^^U
> 
> Let me know if you find any grammatical error that can be considered like terrorism to the language hahahaha I'll do my best to correct it and burn it into my brain for the next one ;)

Few people remain roaming around the market area. The sun is hitting hard, and the area is hot as hell. Reyes leads the way and moves inside the first stall, talking with the salarian shopkeeper and ordering a complete set of portable beds and cooking equipment, some rations and a water purifier. All will be delivered to his room at the Tartarus, like the rest of the items. They make a quick round on the rest of stalls, ordering more food, some extra weapons and equipment, and a full load of ammunition. No one even raised a brow to their shopping list, only giving Reyes whatever he asks for. Sara can imagine that he has made more than one favour around the settlement. At last, they stop at the weapons shop and pick up the shotgun, the stores will be closing in an hour, and Reyes seems to have plans for the rest of the evening.

With the weapon entirely concealed inside a backpack, Reyes guides Sara inside the Kralla’s song. “Let me buy you a drink." The happy grin on his face is something to remember, "Dios mío! I can’t believe we will be riding a Tomkah across Kadara’s landscape.” The door to the pub has some kind of security system, like the rest of the ones they found in the city. Opening it with his omnitool, the sound of a low bass greets them. A set of big windows on the lower floor gives enough light to see the stairs and patrons dispersed around the area. A beautiful Asari is behind the counter, cleaning a glass. “Good evening, Reyes. You finally returned from your little expedition. Is good to see you in one piece.”

Reyes leans his elbows on the counter, smiling at her. “I’m sure you missed me, Umi.” When Sara stops beside him, he signals to her while looking to the Asari. “Let me introduce you to my friend, Sara. She is Umi, the best bartender we have on Kadara and an old acquaintance of mine.”

The Asari moves closer to Sara, half of her upper body resting on the counter, looking intently into her face. “Nice to meet you, Sara. Your brother talked about you all the time.”

With a frown, Sara distances herself from Umi slowly. “ pleasure. Can you tell me how you know how I am?”

Umi just laughs at her, searching for a couple of glasses and pouring some golden liquid on it. “You are twins, my friend. And I have an excellent eye. Besides he showed me some photos of you two whenever he feels down and ends here drinking himself to a better mood.”

Sara takes the offered glass, “Can I ask you to be discreet about the matter? I want to enjoy my time here, if possible.”

Umi shrugs to her, raising her hands. “For me, you are just Sara, a fellow Exiled and a friend of Reyes. And don't worry, your brother only talked about you with me, Reyes and Keema.”

Taking a sip, she let herself relax a bit and returns the smile Umi is giving her. “Thanks, Umi. And for the record, it's been ages since I enjoyed a good Akantha, much appreciated.”

With a big smile on her face, Umi pushes Reyes' shoulder. “I like that one. It is, indeed, a very good Akantha, distilled on Thessia, and part of my stash.”

Sara takes another sip, letting the sweet aftertaste fill her mouth. “One of the archaeologists of my team was married to a woman from Thessia. She always brought bottles of Akantha every time she visits home between missions. I developed a taste for it over the years.”

Umi laughs openly, moving to pours herself a share of the liquor. “By the Goddess, you sound like you have been doing it for all your life! I tend to forgive how quick you learn and live.”

Blushing softly, Sara ends the glass of Akantha and put it back on the counter. “I’m not that young, besides I passed the training period in a rush. They can’t teach me anything new under the Sun. Father trained us since a young age, and they released Scott and me from the Academy in less than a month. After the graduation. They assigned me to the peacekeeping force. I spent almost four years in the Traverse. We loved to joke about how many years we have aged with our double shifts and jumping from one deployment to the next.”

Offering to replenish the glass, and accepting the shake of the head as a no, Umi shrugs to her. “I’m not judging your age, Sara. For me, all of you are like babies with guns. But this one...” She points directly to Reyes, “This one is the worse of all! Look at him, so stern and composed, and then he opens his mouth and ‘puff!’ The charm has gone.”

Reyes tries to sound offended, but the smuggler can’t fight against the twitch on his face. “What have I done this time?”

The two women exchange a knowing smile, before breaking in laughter at Reyes’ expense. Sara is the first to talk, while Umi tries to calm herself before the rest of the patrons take an interest in their conversation. “You were right, Reyes. I like her already--” A yawn stops her words, making Reyes’s smile return to his face. “Ups, sorry. It seems like I’m still recovering. Do you mind if we call the end of the shopping day?” 

Finishing his drink, Reyes put the glass aside, turning to face Umi. “Thanks for the drinks, Umi. We’ll pay you a visit soon.”

Umi reaches for the empty glasses, storing them at the sink for later. “And I hope you didn’t take a month to come to see me. I still didn’t know why you spend all your free time at the Tartarus having me upstairs. Anyway, next time, you will have to pay for your drinks.”

His hand moves to lean on Sara’s back, “Fine, fine! I’ll never outlive that day, right?”

Waving to them while they move away from the bar, they exchanged farewells before climbing the stairs to the market area. Sara yawns again while Reyes opens the door. “Sorry, my body is doing it again. I need some fresh air to wash the sleepiness from my brain.”

The door opens with a hiss, the rays of the setting sun giving the area an orange light. Reyes exits the club with Sara behind him, turning to face her as soon as the door closes again. “If you need some fresh air, I have the perfect location for it. Is my favourite spot in the city.”

Sara nods to him, rubbing her eyes softly. “Sure, let's give it a try.”

Reyes extends his hand in front of her, “Give me your hand, please. Is not far from here, but the access is difficult, and I don’t want to lose you on your first day at Kadara Port.” He expects a flirting reply from her, but she only raises a hand and put it over his. Taking it, he just turns to face the other side of the market, “Let’s go, then. I’m sure you will love it.” 

Leading the way to a side door behind the shop stalls, Reyes opens it with his omnitool, guiding her to a residential area. After climbing a lot of stairs and taking a lift, they end in the farthest area of the Port visible from the market. Just beside the lift lays a door, but this one opens with a code, which obviously Reyes has. The passage behind is narrow and dark, and Sara’s fingers twitch briefly before raising her other hand and activating her powers around it. The soft blue light works like a torch. When they close the distance to the other side of the passage, the sun almost blinds them, but Reyes didn’t give her time to get fully accustomed to it before rushing it to climb a ladder. Reaching the top of it, Sara crawls, moving away to give Reyes a better access. He shows up shortly, crawling too until he is sitting at the edge of what seems to be a container. He pats the spot beside him, beckoning her with his head. “Come here. You will not see the better view of the planet if you remain there.”

Sara closes the distance and sits beside her, legs hanging over the edge while she let her gaze take on the landscape. “Wow. You aren’t joking about the view.” The full city lay under their feet, and the height of their position lets them look very far from it. The light of the sun is reflecting on the myriad of lakes dotting the landscape while the clouds cover the top of the mountains around them.

Leaning on his hands, he relaxes his posture, closing his eyes and letting the setting sun warm his skin. “I knew you would love it as much as I do. You can’t find anything like this across Heleus. Trust me. I tried, to no avail.” After some minutes of silence, he turns his gaze to look at her. She is still looking to the mountains, looking more awake than before but still tired. “Wanna stay here for a while or do you prefer to come back? We still have to see how we can move the new couch you ordered inside the house.”

“I’m good now, thanks to the stroll. But yeah, I will prefer to come back, you can take me, here again, any other day." She sighs, looking on last time to the mountains. "This spot has to be magical at night.”

He drags himself back, only standing when he is away enough from the edge to be safe. Offering his hands to Sara, Reyes helps her to stand, and they go down the ladder in silence. The darkness inside the passage is even worse than before, and Sara grabbed Reyes’ armour instead of his hand but didn't activate her powers. The way down is slower but gives Sara the chance to take a good look at this side of Kadara. Reyes sees her looking around and slows his pace, “I got myself a little room up here when I decided to stay on Kadara. Is not a fancy place to live, but the people were good, always ready to help or chat with you. Sadly, the Outlaws and their ridiculous fees banished a significant part of the old inhabitants of the area from the city. I made the Collective take everyone we can, but not all of them wanted to join us.” They have reached the market area at last, and Reyes moves directly to the lift. “I can say that I tried, but is hard to lose people because of a greedy leader like Sloan.”

They walk the rest of the way in silence. Once inside the lift to the Slums, Reyes pushes the button, and the slow descent begins. Sara let his armour go, leaning on the railway facing him. “Hey, at least you tried and even saved some of them. And you freed the rest of Kadara from Sloan’s tyranny. You did good, Reyes. Don’t push yourself thinking about what you can have done differently. You can’t change the past. Learn from it but fix your gaze on the future.”

Reyes shakes his head, a coy smile on his face. “You have an old soul inside this charming body, Sara.” 

She pushes his shoulder with enough force to make him take a step back. “I'm not that young! Besides, I needed to grow up quickly. Imagine how it was, growing trying to make the double of mischief because you brother was a truly Boy Scout since a young age. No fun at all!”

The lift stops, and as soon as they leave it, they can see a big container outside the fence. Reyes points to it with a happy grin on his face. “I think that’s our ride!”

She joins his happy face, clapping like a child. “Is like Christmas Day! Can't wait to try it! I have to send our thanks to Vetra and Drack, don't you think?”

“Of course we have to, I will order a bottle of Turian brandy for her and one of Rynkol for him." Turning to face the stairs, he beckons her with his head. "Let's make a quick work of the packages, and we can retire early. We can leave the city with the first light and had more hours to travel.”

Turning to face him, she nods. “Sounds like a plan. But I'm sure that I can think of a way to move the boxes without any effort on your part, well maybe it will be hard for your ego, but I'm sure you will manage it.”

Reyes softly laughs while he starts to climb the stairs, “Now I'm intrigued, my Xana. What have you planned?”

She shrugs, the funny Sara is coming back, slowly but surely. “Mister Vidal, a girl has to have her secrets!”

The Tartarus is full at this hours, they need to dodge some partners and Reyes even has to ‘dissuade’ a drunken guy to hug Sara. When the door to his private room opens, it is filled almost entirely with boxes, and Reyes can't fight the chuckle. “Is just me or we had lost it while shopping?”

Sara chuckles with him, but shrugs with an innocent grin on her face, “Not sure, but like I always said… Shit happens, deal with it.”

Shaking his head, he closes the distance to the wall with the controls of the door, stepping over some boxes and almost tripping just in front of it. He recovers quickly, but not enough for her to ignore the movement. Sighing, he puts his hand over the wall and the door opens, the dark passage awaiting for them. Turning to face her, he crosses his arms, “Ok, Sara. Show time, what have you planned?”

“Oh, nothing fancy. Please, don't panic.” She starts to glow, the air inside the room vibrating with her biotic energy. She closes his eyes, concentrating the energy between her hands until she has a big ball of light floating in the air. Moving one of the hands, she starts to change the form of the ball, growing and growing until she has a big circle of energy perched in one fist. Moving closer to the pile of boxes, she puts it on them and they start to float lazily in front of her head. “See, nothing fancy. Just some biotic master control of masses. Nothing to be proud of, you know, only Asari huntress can do it.”

Reyes claps to her, “Yeah, yeah, I got it. You are a biotic goddess. Now move your handsome ass down the passage and put the boxes inside the house.” He enters the hallway first, moving quickly to get the door open for when she reaches it. The feeling of having the electric charge of a biotic completely unleashed behind him is doing things to his body that he prefers to maintain for himself. She enters the room and puts the boxes in front of her room, leaving enough space for the couch and the rest of the boxes. 

Before leaving the room, she calls off her powers, taking a breath and stretching her arms. “Can you move aside the couch? It will be easy if we don't have to make manoeuvres to put it in place.”

He gives her a thumbs up without looking at her, trying to calm his body. With some effort, he changes the position of the dining table to the wall beside the window, and puts the couch where the table has been, on the opposite wall of the big windows. When the couch appears floating in the door, he can only whistle, “You can get in handy out there, don't you?”

She puts down the couch with care in its new place, slightly shivering while she let the power banish from her body. “In fact, I come handy everywhere…” With a wink and a movement of her hand, Reyes chest piece fastening open, and she leaves the room, laughing hard. She sounds so happy again that he has to smile too, even when he is trying to calm his body. Being undressed without even touching him. God, that was hot!

He is in front of the kitchen, opening the boxes, when the bluish light of her powers lightens the passage. Less than a minute later, another set of boxes enters the room, and she guides them closer to the kitchen again, letting them fall with all the care she can, before dissipating the energy and taking a deep breath. “Spirits, it's has been a while since I used this quantity of precise biotics. I need to start to practice again or I’ll get rusted in no time.”

Reyes smiles to her over his shoulder, still kneeling in front of the pile of boxes. “You earned a good rest while I arrange the supplies. Take a beer from the bridge and test the couch, I’ll be with you as soon as I can.”

Sara stretches her back until the bones cracked, sighing softly at the sensation. “No way I’m going to let you do all this work alone, Mister Vidal.” She moves to the kitchen, stepping over some boxes on her way in, and picks a couple of bottles of beer, opening them and giving one to Reyes, while she leans against the door for a moment. “Besides, you will have to check my own equipment to know if we have everything we can need.”

Seeing that he can’t dissuade her, Reyes just shrugs, taking a long gulp from his beer and putting it aside before opening one of the boxes. “Fine, then. Can you help me to arrange the supplies on the counter? This way we will easily know what we have and can decide what we will bring with us.”

Taking another gulp from the bottle, she put it aside near the fridge and returns beside him. “Sure thing. I can move the items inside, and you can take them from the boxes. As soon as we cleaned a bit the door of my room, I will pick up my supplies.”

They work in silence, Reyes passing her the items, and she arranges them in the counters of the kitchen. When the door to her room is clean of boxes, she opens the door and moves her boxes outside, starting to arrange the weapons over her bed, the kitchen is already full of items. When the last box is empty, Reyes stands and recovers the beer bottle from the floor. “Well, Little Wisp. Do you have any preferences for your first expedition? We need to have a plan to decide what we will need to bring with us.”

She ponders it, worrying her lower lip between his teeth. “I liked the sound of the Angaran ruins on the north. Do you think it will be a good start?”

“Good as any other in Kadara. The roads are full of dangers, and the place is very remote, but with the little present that your friends have sent to us, I think we can do it.” He walks to the main door, beside it Sara sees for the first time a little wardrobe, from where Reyes recovers a pair of backpacks. “Help me with this. We will need enough food for a couple of days, but I prefer to have more than necessary, just in case you got yourself distracted with shiny things and we will need to remain there more time than planned.”

She picks one of the backpacks and moves inside the kitchen, “I eat a lot, more if I need to use my biotics, so I will be grateful for that too. Let’s see what you ordered.”

Reyes has bought a lot of Nexus rations, food that just needs some heat to be ready, and which occupies less space than regular food. Filling one of the backpacks with the rations and some extra fresh food like fruit or bread, they move to Sara’s room to choose the weapons. Crossing his arms in front of the bed, Reyes can’t avoid the whistle. Sara just chuckles and mimics his pose. “I know, I know! But a girl needs to be ready.”

He giggles, taking the sniper rifle in his hands, “And ready you are, Sara. God, you have enough weapons to start your own mercenary unit, my friend.”

“Can’t fight it. Scott always said that I have some kind of kinky with guns. He laughed hard at me the first time I said that I never sleep with someone who can’t shot. If you don’t know how to use this…” she signals the collection of weapons over the sheets. “I will assume that you don’t know how to use your own weapon.”

Reyes starts to laugh, putting the rifle back over the bed. “I can see why he laughed, Sara. You really are something different.”

Picking up the new shotgun Reyes has bought for her, she caresses the weapon, looking at him. “What can I say? I had a philia with hot and dangerous think.” She is wiggling her brows, and Reyes can't fight the grin that is growing on his face. “Ok.... let's drop the topic before one of us did something inappropriate. I say that we will need as much of firepower as possible, so the shotguns and rifles will be a good idea. The sniper one will come in handy too, just in case.” Moving outside the room, he turns to face her before entering the kitchen. “Can you wrap the weapons and ammunitions while I cook something for my biotic goddess?”

With an emphatic thumbs up, Sara stars to put the arms in a crate, storing part of the ammo inside it and part of it in the remaining backpack. She let outside the box her new toy and a Sidewinder. The rest will come back to the box they come from. With a yawn that makes her full body stretch back, she moves to the box containing her armour, readying it for tomorrow. 

When Sara leaves the room, Reyes is already moving the plates to the couch. “Good timing! Take a seat. I'll bring the drinks.” While he is gone, she drags the side table in front of the couch, sitting on the new sofa, sighing dramatically when the softness of it surrounds her body. Reyes is coming back from the kitchen, and he enters the room just in time to see her display. “Looks like it is as comfortable as we thought, right?”

Sara picks the beer offered by Reyes, “Is even better! But I can be a good judge today. My body feels so tired that I will even find the floor comfortable.”

Reyes sits beside her, happily grinning when he test the couch. Turning to face her, he puts the plate on her lap. “I made pasta. After your little lights show, I supposed you would need the boost of energy.”

When he picks his plate, Sara is munching a mouthful of macaroni happily. He sits back, bending a leg over the couch and leaning the plate on his knee. They eat in silence for a while, broken only by Sara making some appreciative sounds when she enjoys a piece of meat or the tasty cheese. 

She ends first, returning the plate to the table and taking off her boots to bend her legs, leaning her chin on them. Reyes ends his own, putting it aside too. “If you want, we have some fruit in the fridge.”

She shakes her head, changing her pose to look directly at him. “No, I'm fine. Thanks, Reyes.”

“You look tired. Why don't you take a shower?”

She nods while her feet return to the floor and she stretches her back over the backrest of the couch. “Not a bad idea.” After a couple of seconds, she giggles softly, “Spirits, I'm so tired that I can't even think of a flirty comment for you.”

Reyes laughs openly, “Good to know. I only have to get you tired to get some peace.”

Pushing his arm, she makes him fall against the couch. “There is more than one way to achieve this state, Mister Vidal.” 

He answers without raising from the couch, “I have dug my own grave here, right? Go to the shower, my little Xana, we have a long day ahead of us.”

Standing up, she touches her knee with his. “We can have even a longer night.” When he grunts to her, she just laughs and shrugs. “It looks I'm not as tired as I think.” Sticking her tongue out to him, she turns and strolls to her room. When she disappears into the bathroom after a short while, Reyes stands and picks the plates and empty bottles, bringing them to the kitchen. He put them in the sink. Tomorrow they will have to clean up the breakfast dishes, and they can wash the ones from the supper then too. Searching in one of the cabinets, he recovers a chocolate bar and some cookies, returning to the couch to wait for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation: 
> 
> Dios mío! --> Oh my god!


	7. Second night on Kadara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm enjoying my little flirting... as you can imagine they will not be capable of resist to temptation for very long, but hey! they are trying XDDD
> 
> As usual, no beta reading. Sorry for my punch to your grammar, I did it with all my love :P
> 
> See the end of the chapter for translation notes and the song info.

The fog from the water fills the room, the crystal wall of the shower misted up. Sara stands just under the stream of water, letting the hot liquid to calm her overexerted muscles. _‘Spirits, a six hundred nap and I lost my touch.”_ Tilting her head back, she lets the water fall over her face and hair. A couple of minutes passed, and she starts to feel sorry for Reyes, who was alone outside waiting for his chance to refresh and rest. Stepping outside of the direct stream of water, she picks her soaps and cleans her hair and body thoroughly, knowing that it will be at least a couple of days until she can enjoy a real shower again.

After some extra minutes under the water, Sara feels guilty enough to leave it and wraps her body and hair in a towel. She puts on her sleeping clothes, giving the last shake to her hair before recovering the comb and leave the room, brushing her hair without any care of the knots. Reyes is lying back on the couch, datapad on hand. Sitting on an armrest, she continues with the brushing. “I know it takes me longer than necessary, sorry. I'll pick up my things and the bathroom is all yours.”

Reyes puts aside the pad and pats the space beside him, beckoning her to sit. When she did it, he produces a little package on his hand, showing it to her. “Don't worry about that. You needed it. But now…” He stops his hand just in front of her eyes, giving her time to read the label of the package. “Now, my Little Wisp, we have a dessert to eat.”

Her face shows her surprise so clearly that it brings a lopsided grin on Reyes’ face. “Spirits, how it is possible?”

He starts to peel off the wrapper as soon as he lowered his hands. “Someone decided to put some boxes of chocolate bars on the fridge with the rest of us. After the uprising, these tasty and tiny beauties turned on currency. I got lucky and got my hands in a full box of them. I will suppose by your reaction that you love chocolate as much as I do.”

Sara's gaze is moving between his hands and his face, “Remember my comment about my passion for guns? You have my primary addiction in your hands, Mister Vidal.”

With a mischievous grin, he breaks a square and presents it to her. “Good to know. At last, I have something I can use against you.”

Her grin is something different, and when she leans closer to his fingers and take the square of chocolate into her mouth, surrounding Reyes’ fingers for a second, he stops breathing. “Don’t push your luck, Reyes. I still got secret weapons I can use against you, and I'm starting to think that you will be agreeable with half of my ideas.”

Reyes breaks another square and put it in his mouth, occupying his mind with it instead of the woman sitting beside him. After some moments, he swallows the chocolate and turns to face her. “Not fair, Sara. Not fair at all.”

With a shrug, she lays back on the couch, sitting cross-legged. “Your game, my rules. Now give me another piece and move your ass to the shower. I want to spend some time with you on our new couch before going to sleep.”

Giving her another square, he cuts one for himself before fixing the seal back in the bar and standing. “Are you always that bossy when tired?”

Sara winks to him before stretching a leg and pushing him in the bathroom’s direction. “Only with you, Mister Vidal, only with you.”

Reyes sighs, knowing that he has been bested in his own game. He returns the chocolate bar to the kitchen and moves beside the couch to reach the bathroom. She lays on it, writing something in his omnitool, the orange light of it giving her skin a bronze tint. _‘What the heck? Where this thought came from? Put yourself together, Reyes.'_ He shakes his head while entering his room, taking off his armour and moving to the bathroom with the clean clothes on his arms. He tries to make it quick, but the water feels so good on his overheated body that he can make himself leave it. When he leaves the steaming room, Sara is half asleep on the couch, seeing a documentary of the Ancient Cultures of Earth. When he sits with her, she let her head fall on his shoulder. “You take your time.” 

The sleepiness is pretty evident in her voice, and he can see her eyes closing slowly and open again a second later, fighting against it. “Say the pot to the kettle. Anyway, do you want that I take you to bed? You are already on your way to Morpheus’ arms.”

With a sigh, she closes her eyes, talking to him in whispers. “Not a bad idea, but I don't know if I have the energy to clean my bed. I don't think I can't handle sleeping with a bunch of weapons around me, too dangerous.”

“Joder, Sara. Can you go easy on me? You are playing very hard for my taste.”

Moving to fall to the other side of the couch, she bends her legs between her and Reyes. “Yeah, sorry. I'll try to behave. Don't worry about me. I can sleep everywhere, in fact, I got worse beds on the Milky Way.”

“Like hell you are.” He stands and moves to the old couch, picking the blanket they used last night. He covers hers with it and walks directly to her room, starting to store the weapons in the open boxes. Ending with it, he takes a last look at the covers, searching for any misplaced piece. When all is clear, he returns to pick up Sara. She is already asleep, blanket twisted in her fist while she mumbles in her dreams. _‘I got my hands full with this troublemaker.’_ With all the care he can muster, he slips his arms under her legs and shoulders, raising her light weight easily. 

In the way to the room, she stirs, slowly awakening. “I'm sorry, Reyes.” Her voice is sleepy, but he can feel she is fully awake now. “I'm not making it easy for you, didn't I? I'll try to behave myself and stops being the little idiot who gives you reasons enough to throw me from your house.”

When he lays her on the bed, he covers her body with the bedsheets, sitting beside her. The light from the open door let him see her face clearly against the sheets. “Don't say that, Sara. If I have to throw you anywhere, it will be to my bed, and we both know that this will be a terrible idea.”

She turns over her side, bending an arm and using it as a pillow, looking to the wall instead of him. “Ok. I will stop teasing you, I promise. Thanks for bringing me to bed. Go to yours and have some sleep.” With the last word, she turns to look at him, soft smile over her face, and even when he knew it didn't reach her eyes, he returns the gesture.

“Good night, Sara.” Standing up, Reyes pats her hand and leaves the room, closing the door behind him. The screen is still running the documentary, and he uses his omni to turn it off before moving to his bed, where he lays awake for a long while, thinking about the dilemma that his life is throwing at him. 

The sound of someone fighting with his kitchenware wakes him. He rubs his eyes, taking a quick look to the omni to check the hour. ‘Is almost morning, time to get moving and see what kind of mischief is she doing.” Reyes leaves the bed slowly, he had slept well but not enough. When he exits the room, the sky outside is starting to bright, and the only light in the room is the one from the kitchen. Peering inside, he finds Sara cooking or at least trying, seeing the chaos that reign on the counter. He knocks at the door frame, enjoying briefly the little jump Sara did at the sound. “Shit, Reyes! Can you not move in stealth around the house?”

He laughs, leaning a shoulder on the door frame and crossing his arms. “Good morning to you too, Sara. And is not my fault that you are making enough noise to cover the falling of an Atlas.”

Sara blushes softly, stopping her hands. “Ups, sorry about that. Did I wake you?”

With a shake of his head, he tries to reassure her. “Don't worry. It was the correct time anyway. Are you making me breakfast?”

Sara nods, signalling a cloth covering a plate. “I'm trying. I made some kind of pancakes, but I can't find anything to put on them. Even the tea leaves are hiding from me. I didn't think about it before starting to cook.”

Moving inside of the kitchen, Reyes reaches for a tin box in the upper cabinet beside the fridge. He passes it to her, and when she opens the lid, the strong smell of tea leaves makes her smile. He moves to another cabinet and starts to rummage inside while she heats the water. “I have some honey, or we can melt chocolate, whichever you fancy more.”

Sara is adding the measure of leaves to the kettle. “They are my ‘I'm sorry I'm an ass’ pancakes. Your choice.”

Taking the bar from the night before and a couple of individual servings of honey, he returns beside her. When the items are safely stored on the counter, she forces her to turn and look at him. “Hey, stop the nonsense.”

With a sigh, she bends her upper body until her forehead is resting on her shoulder. “I'm sorry anyway. You let me live with you, take care of me, and I repaid you working very hard to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Reyes chuckles, pushing her shoulder softly, “I will not call it uncomfortable, precisely. Now let me enjoy my pancakes. No one besides my mother has cooked sweets for me.”

Stepping back from him, Sara smiles to him, moving aside the cloth. Under it, a little tower of perfect pancakes awaits for him. “Then you have met a lot of idiots in your old life, my friend.” The kettle is already whistling, and she takes it from the heater. “I improvised a bit, but I took a bite from the first one, and they taste good enough.”

“Then let me melt this, and we will be ready to enjoy them.”

Taking the kettle and a couple of mugs, she leaves the kitchen, while Reyes cuts the chocolate in squares and heat the bowl long enough to melt it. The smell of chocolate fills the room for when Sara returns to pick up the plates and the pancakes. Reyes follows her to the living room, where she has moved the items to the dining table. Chairs are facing the big windows. Before they sit, Reyes sees that they didn't bring the cutlery. Sara is pouring the tea when he returns, helping her to serve the pancakes on the plates in companionable silence. He puts some chocolate over his while she chooses to use the honey. The first bite almost makes him moan. “Wow! They are just delicious, Sara.”

She is eating hers with a smile on her face, “Glad you like it.”

Reyes picks another and puts some honey on it, taking a couple of sips from his mug. “I can't remember when was the last time I had pancakes for breakfast at home. Is a nice way to start out little adventure.”

She is sipping her tea, with a leg bent under her. “I can cook for you if you want. I learned a trick or two in my days on the road. You can imagine how a group of civil archaeologists reacted the first time they ate an Alliance meals. We have to work very hard in getting the ingredients and make some magic with the food we have with us.”

He serves her another pancake, putting a generous quantity of chocolate over it. “Ugh, that's one of the things I don't miss. I will take your word. We have a lot of rations in a bag for the next days. You will have your chance to prove it.”

They eat in silence for a while, enjoying the change of colours of the sky through the windows and the tasty meal. When Sara finishes with the last pancake on her plate, she pushes the plate away from her and moves her legs to rest her heels on the chair. She remains like this, sipping her tea, while Reyes eats the rest of his breakfast. When he finishes with his drink, Sara puts her mug on the table and unfolds her legs, stretching before standing. She is moving her hands to pick up Reyes’ plate when he slaps her hand softly. “You cooked, I’ll wash.”

She takes her plate and mug and moves away from the table, smiling at him when she moves closer to the kitchen. “First to make it to the sink washes, the other can dry.” Moving as quickly as possible without starting running, she arrives first and starts to wash the dishes before he even enters the kitchen. Reyes adds his items to the collection inside the sink, whispering a soft ‘Cheater’ behind her back, and picks a dish towel from a drawer, drying every plate, cutlery or glass she washes. He starts to whistle a song, and she giggles, passing him a clean plate to dry. “You sign that song the first day too, I don't recognise it, but I like the tune.”

Reyes puts down the plate and the cloth, opening the omnitool until he finds the song and presses the play button. A Spanish guitar starts to play, the cadence of the music marks it as an old song. The raspy voice of the singer is a beautiful contrast with the sound of the guitars. She can understand the lyrics but the melody is charming, and as she finds Reyes humming the song to himself, she can't fight a soft smile to grow on her face. When the song ends, she turns to face him, dripping hands over the sink. “What a lovely song, I never listened to something like this. I don’t understand the meaning of the words but is pleasant enough anyway. It was an old song from Earth, right?”

Putting a clean cloth in her hands to dry them, he picks up the last plate. “It is. Almost a millennium old right now. My mother loved the old Latin music. She always said that we have lost part of our heritage, mingling so much with the rest of the world, and kept her passion alive with the music and the old movies. The song is called ' _“Algo_ contigo _'_  , and it was recorded for the first time in 1977.” He starts to chuckle, putting down the cloth and leaning against the counter. “Can you believe it? Here we are, in another galaxy, listening to a song that surely no one on Earth will remember.”

Sara leans on the counter too, crossing her arms behind her to lean on her hands. “Yes. It is a strange feeling. I’m sure no one remembers the Initiative. We are pioneers with a one-way ticket, I know that much, but knowing for sure that our entire lives have been erased from our home worlds…” She sighs, turning to start storing the plates in its place. “Don't mind me. I got nostalgic from time to time.” She gives him her best smile, “Can you sing the song for me? I'm sure it will sound beautiful in your voice.”

Reyes coughs softly, blushing slightly. “I don’t sing, Sara.”

Punching his arm, she laughs at him. “Bullshit! I hear you singing to yourself, and your voice is beautiful. And I love your accent. I’m sure you can make me blush only by talking to me in Spanish.” She covers her mouth with her fingers as soon as the last words leave her mouth. “Ups! Sorry, I got caught at the moment. I promised to behave myself, and I’m already killing the mood. Let’s get dressed then. The world outside awaits us.”

Sara is already leaving the kitchen when Reyes stops her, taking one of her hands. “Sara…” He forces her to turn and face him, moving a hand to lean on her check. “I don’t want you to change who you are. In fact, I like our little game of teasing. But you have to understand me too, is not an easy task for me, trying to resist your charms, my Little Wisp.”

She shivers at the touch and his soft words but tries to remain as stoic as possible. “You say it like I was immune to yours, Reyes. But yeah, I will work on it. Now let's get moving before I make something you will regret later.”

Reyes steps away from her, giving her more space, and she leaves the kitchen with a nod and a soft smile. He takes a moment alone to take a deep breath, muttering to himself. “I'm starting to doubt about how much I will regret it…” He leaves the kitchen and returns to his room, putting on the light armour and picking up his weapons. When he exits the room, Sara is already making the last check on her new shotgun. He stops breathing. She looks good in regular clothes, even in her pyjamas, but ¡Dios! She looks astonishing in her armour. It is a Heleus set, painted in black and blue. The halo around her neck frames her face like she was the centrepiece of an Alliance’s recruitment poster. 

He recovers the ability to breath when she raises her head, looking her gaze in his eyes, hand on a hip while she stores the weapon on her leg. “Seeing anything you like? Because Vetra and Gil assured me that you would love this set and Scott betted against them.”

Reyes has to laugh with her, the situation so stupid that he can't fight it. “I'm sorry for him then. Your brother has totally lost the bet. And I will lose my sanity being in close quarters with you for the next days.”

Winking at him, Sara picks up the weapon’ box and moves closer to the door. “Not my fault, I look this hot even with my old Alliance uniform. Now take the backpacks and let's get moving if you please.”

"Bossy lady!" While Reyes is picking up the bags, she leans against the wall, with a lopsided smile on her face. Raising, he turns to face her and closes the distance to the door, opening it and letting her pass first. He closes the door while she starts to walk to the sitting room, waiting for him just in front of the outer door, slowly opening when Reyes puts his hand over the sensor, and she moves before him, sashaying away with a wink. He grunts softly, but his smile veils the real meaning of it. Closing this door too, Reyes walks beside her the rest of the way until they reach the control room on the exterior wall. He is so lost reading the message Keema has sent to him with the codes of the container that he didn't see the Krogan trying to hack it until they are almost over him. Reyes moves a hand closer to the weapon on his leg. “That's our birthday present, my friend. It will be good for you to go away from it.”

The Krogan starts to glow, showing his teeth. “And what will you do if I decide to take it from your dead hands?”

The only warning he has about what's happening is a static charge against his back, making a shiver run down his spine. The next one was the total surprise in the Krogan’s face when Sara raises him in the air, restricting his movements with a mass field. “I'm not sure about him, but I will be very mad at you. Truth be told, I'm already mad at you just for trying to intimidate him.” The pressure on the field starts to dent the armour around his body, and the Krogan starts to call for mercy. Sara is still carrying the box, leaning it against her hip and her right hand raised, controlling the power. Her eyes glow blue, like the rest of her, and if Reyes has thought that she was hot in her armour, she unleashing her powers for combat is a vision to engrave in his mind forever. He is still open-mouthed looking at her glowing form when she turns her attention to him. “Can you put the box on the ground for me? I need my two hands for what I want to do.” Reyes puts down his bags and picks up the box from her arm, lowering it near the bags. “Thanks. I’ll go to deal with our friend near the lake, get the card ready, please?” She turns to the Krogan, moving closer to him and grabbing his foot, starting to walk to the lake with the shotgun on her left hand and ignoring the pleading words that are leaving the big Krogan. 

Reyes starts to work on the panel, the code working like a charm on the first try. The front door opens, and he uses the program that Keema send to him to make the Tomkah leave the container. He is storing the box and the bags inside with the sound of something big splashing on the water reaches him. Turning to look at the lake, he finds Sara running to him with a smirk on her face, shotgun on hand. “I’m afraid to ask about what happened there.”

Giggling softly, she jumps inside the vehicle, sitting in the copilot seat and waiting for him to join her. “Oh, don’t worry. I didn’t kill him. In fact, I helped him. He really needed a bath and a kick in the ass.”

He joins her laugh when he enters the Tomkah, closing the doors and fixing the security belts. “Thanks for letting me drive, Sara. It is like a dream come true.”

Her eyes are still sparkling softly from the energy she used to maintain the field around the Krogan. “You’re welcome. I plan to do it sometime soon, but only after I familiarised myself with the landscape. Until then, I prefer to enjoy the view and let you take the decisions.”

Reyes pushes the start button, and the roar of the engine can be felt inside the armoured vehicle. The pair of them giggled together with a soft ‘Wow’, before he presses the gas pedal, making the big wheels raise a cloud of dust behind them. When they are near the lake, he sees the Krogan leaving it, trying to take off the water from inside his armour. Sara is shrugging in her seat, smiling broadly at him. With a shake of his head, Reyes drives to the closest road. “The adventure awaits us, my Little Wisp.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations of text:  
> Joder --> Fuck  
> ¡Díos! --> God!
> 
> [Song](https://youtu.be/qg0jTALHDAI) Is the Andres Calamaro version, one of my favourites, but this song has been versioned by a lot of famous singers in Latin countries.
> 
> Translation of the lyrics (obviously is not a literal translation, Spanish has a lot of words and concepts that can't be translated to English >_<)  
>  _I need to tell you_  
>  _that I’m dying for having something with you_  
>  _It’s that you didn’t realise_  
>  _how much it cost me to be your friend_  
>  _That I can’t approach your mouth_  
>  _without desiring it madly_  
>  _I need to control your life_  
>  _to see who kisses you, who keeps you warm_  
>  _I need to tell you_  
>  _that I’m dying for having something with you_  
>  _It’s that you didn’t realise_  
>  _how much it cost me to be your friend_  
>  _Now I can’t continue to spy you_  
>  _day and night, guessing when you’ll arrive_  
>  _I don’t know with which innocent excuse_  
>  _I can walk around your house_  
>  _There are only a few ways left_  
>  _and even if it might seem foolish to you_  
>  _I don’t want to die without having_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _I need to tell you_  
>  _that I’m dying for having something with you_  
>  _It’s that you didn’t realise_  
>  _how much it cost me to be your friend_  
>  _That I can’t approach your mouth_  
>  _without desiring it madly_  
>  _Girl, I need to control your life_  
>  _to know who kisses you, who keeps you warm_  
>  _There are only a few ways left_  
>  _and even if it might seem foolish to you_  
>  _I don’t want to die without having_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _Something with you_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _Girl, I don’t want to die without having_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _A sad destiny is awaiting me_  
>  _without knowing you_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _Now there’s no excuse, now there’s anything_  
>  _that I have to loose_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _like a slave_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _A slave forever_  
>  _It wouldn’t bother me to be_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _a slave forever_  
>  _Girl, I don’t want to die without having_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _A sad destiny is awaiting me_  
>  _without knowing you_  
>  _something with you_  
>  _there’s no excuse_  
> 


	8. Leaving Kadara Port

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I can't explain how happy I'm every day that I check it and see more people have read this fic! 
> 
> As always, English is not my language and I don't have beta on this one, so all the damage I make against grammar is my own work :P
> 
> Let me know if you like it or want to bet with me how many time this pair will can stay inside their underwear hahaha
> 
> And of course, if you see something really offending in my text, please, comment it to me and I will correct it ;)

The road they are following come across the lake areas, sun creating mirrors of light around them. Sara is in awe of the landscape. The mountains around them are big and almost verticals, clouds tinted in orange by the morning sun dotting the top of them. The sky behind the clouds is bright blue, and Sara can only think that she never saw something this beautiful, not even on Tessia. Reyes has slowed the speed, letting her enjoy the view. On a crossroad, he stops and touches her shoulder, distracting her from the wind farm they are crossing. When he has her attention, he points to the left road. “Ditaeon is at the end of this path. We can go there whenever you want, I'm sure Christmas will be happy to give you a tour.”

Sara nods, returning her gaze to the distant mountains. “We'll do, someday. But right now I prefer to trek with you across this landscape than seeing an outpost.”

Starting the engine again, Reyes turns to the right road. “Sure thing. The roar of the Tomkah didn't give them enough silence to maintain a conversation, and Reyes stops the vehicle from time to time to point to a place of interest or a beautiful sight. The land they are crossing is covered in little hills, and Reyes starts to look side to side, searching for any danger. She sees the movement and stops staring at the landscape open-mouthed to join him. “I will assume this is is not as peaceful as it looks.”

Reyes continues driving, following the road as much as he can to avoid traps and mines. “Sadly for the rest of the inhabitants of Kadara, yes, it is. The Outcasts that ran from Kadara Port after I killed Sloane are hiding around here, killing, or at least trying, everyone that travels this area.” To his right, hiding between rocks and the shadow of a hill, they can see a house surrounded by trucks. One of them looks Angaran, and it surprises Reyes. “That's strange. The Angaran didn't like the Outcast enough to let them use their equipment.”

Sara is looking intently to the prefabricated house. “I didn't like how this sounds. Can we take a closer look?” 

Just when Reyes is about to dissuade her, a group of Outcast leave the house, carrying a couple of Angaran, one of them hardly beaten, carried on the shoulders of a Krogan. Sara turns to face him with the decision already made on her head, and Reyes can only nod. They leave the Tomkah as silently as possible, Sara picking up a Sidewinder and an Avenger while Reyes takes another assault rifle and the spare shotgun. She winks at him before she starts to accumulate energy while she strolls to the house. When she is close enough for the Outcast to see her, she cast a barrier around her, launching a Singularity just over their heads, capturing all of them in the energy field. The Krogan is starting to fight against the control of the attack, but before he can free himself, Reyes steps in front of him, shotgun directly between his eyes while he shakes his head. Sara launches another Singularity just in front of the door, moving quickly to help Reyes to free the two Angaran. She picks the one over the Krogan’ shoulders, with all the care she can muster while she maintains the biotics online, just in case. When she has him securely seated on the ground, she takes the one in Reyes' arms and makes her sit beside her companion. Returning beside Reyes, Sara leans to whisper in his ear. “Take a step back and protect them. I will deal with our friends.”

As soon as Reyes steps aside from the group, the Krogan starts to fight again. Sara is so angry with them after checking the state of the poor Angara... The surge of power makes her glow like a beacon for a moment, and she launches a Lance against them. To Reyes, she looks like an avenging angel, surrounding in light and destroying her enemies with a sword of light. Before the Outcast can recover, she uses another Singularity, followed by a Throw. The power of the combined attack launches them over the hill, the sound of metal crashing against hard rock echoing in the silence of the field. Without taking a single breath, she calls a Backslash, unholstering her shotgun and closing the distance to the house door. Reyes follows her after making a last check on the injured Angaras. Turning on the lantern on his omnitool, he steps just behind her, lighting her way but remaining covered with her shield. Another Angara lies on the floor, already dead, and a couple of humans have barricaded themselves behind an upturned table, guns at the ready. God, how angry Sara is right now! Taking the last ounce of energy she has, she launches a devastating Shockwave against them. The energy bypasses the metal surface easily, throwing them hard against the back wall. With a blank mind she has felt a lot of times before, she moves closer to them, raising her gun and shooting the pair of them directly in the chest. The force of the shotgun destroys their thoracic cages, painting the wall with their blood. She is already moving to recover the fallen Angaran before they take their last breath. 

Reyes stops her before she picks up the body. The hardness of her gaze surprises him. He knows that he needs to break her mood before it gets even worse. “Hey, are you still with me, Little Wisp?” The remains of her surge of power still show on her face. Her eyes glow, little rays of energy dancing around them while the irises shine with an inner light. 

She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes before storing away the shotgun. “I am. Don't worry about me, Reyes.”

With a sigh, he forces her hand to lean on his chest, “Too late, Sara. But we have other priorities right now.” Recovering her hand, she nods to him before kneeling beside the body, raising it from the ground in a fireman’s carry. Reyes keeps the weapon on hand when they leave the house, taking a quick look around. The other two are leaning one against the other, the roughness of the treatment they have received clearly written in their darkened skin and blood trails. 

Sara kneels again, putting down the body with all the respect she can. “I'm sorry we didn't make it in time to save your friend.”

With a sob, the female caresses the face of the fallen one. “He will be dead anyway. They poisoned him yesterday. When he died without saying what they wanted to hear, they started to torture us.” The injured one shudders beside her, and she puts a protective arm around his shoulders. “We can't be grateful enough for your intervention, but we don't have anything valuable enough to repay your kindness.”

Shaking her head, Sara smiles softly to her, patting her leg. “No need for that. Do you anywhere to go? We can gain you passage to the Initiative Outpost or Kadara Port if you need it.”

The woman looks at her with a surprised look. “We only need to take care of the more serious injuries, and then we will call for transport to take us home.”

Reyes recognises the methodology, and kneels beside Sara, without taking her eyes from the hills for more than some seconds. “We can contact Efra in your name if you need it. I work for the Resistance too. I'm Shena.”

The two Angaran seems to relax a bit at his words. “We know that name, Shena. Thank you.”

“You can go to Kadara Port, it will be easy for them to reach you there, and the person in charge there is a friend of mine. I will contact Keema on your behalf, and someone will be waiting for you.” Turning to face Sara for a moment, Reyes finds her smiling softly to him, the remains of her powers had disappeared, leaving behind just tiredness. “Can you help them to get to their vehicle while I call Keema? I will join you as soon as I can.” Sara stands, picking up the Sidewinder, before helping the woman stand up. 

Reyes moves away from them, still controlling the hills around them while he opens a vidcom with Keema. She answers after a minute, her face filling the little screen. “Good morning, Reyes. What can I do for you today?”

He smiles, letting his gaze move between her and the landscape. “We found a group of Outcast playing with a Resistance team. We were too late to save one of them, but the other two will need some medical attention and a little help to reach Aya.” He raises his hand to let her see the pair behind him, who is moving at a slow pace to the vehicle, with Sara's help. “We have dealt with them, but I plan to take a closer look to their hideout to find their reasons and what have they discovered. The Resistance had enough problems without the Outcast mingling in their operations.”

Keema nods to the screen, already giving orders to her team. “Consider it done, Reyes. We will take care of them until Efra can send someone to fetch them. I'll contact him myself, let me know if you discover something of interest.”

“Thanks, Keema. We will send the fallen one with them, take care of him too. “

Another nod and a big smile later, Keema bids her farewells. “We'll do. Don't get killed, if possible. I'll await your message. Live strong.”

Reyes returns the smile, touching his brow with his fingers. “Same to you, my friend. Reyes out.”

Closing the screen, he walks back to the spot where the body lays. Sara has already helped the injured ones inside the vehicle and is walking back to there too. When she is close enough, he stores the shotgun and picks up the body, carrying it in his arms while Sara takes the turn to watch their surroundings. He puts the body with care in the back seats of the vehicle, the woman sitting behind the wheel already readying it to start the march. Closing the hatch, Reyes moves near the pilot door, waiting until the Angara opens the window. “Someone will be waiting for you when you reach the Slums. They will take care of the three of you. Keema is sending a message to Aya as we talk, you will be at home in no time.”

The two survivors touch their chest and head, and the female extends her arm outside, waiting for Reyes to return the salute, which he did, followed by Sara. “Thanks for your help. We know for sure that they will have killed us. Is good to see that the news from Aya about the kind newcomers was real. Stay strong, stay safe, my friends.”

Sara steps back first, giving her a slight nod, “Same to you. Take care of your friend.”

Closing the window while Reyes moves beside Sara, the Angara wave to them before starting the engine and leave the place, the dust of the vehicle surrounding them for a moment. Reyes turns to face her, shotgun on hand. “I want to take a look at the house, see what they are planning. Is not a good thing to have the Outcast kidnapping and torturing our allies in an Initiative’s area.”

Sara nods, starting to walk to the house. “I will guard the door while you search inside. If we didn't find anything, we can go to the hills and see if some of my friends are still alive., and ask them nicely.”

He hums his agreement, and just before they reach the house, he stops her for a moment. “You have used more energy than yesterday. How do you feel?”

With a smile, she shakes her head. “I'm all right, Reyes. Don't worry. I will need some food in a while and a lot of sleep later, but I'm fine. And my implant has cooled already. I will be ready in case we need it. Now do your magic and find whatever you are looking for.”

They take the last steps to the interior of the house. Sara stands leaning on the wall near the door, hiding inside the room and using a little cam from her omnitool to take a look outside while remaining under cover. Reyes starts rounding the room, activating pads to read the content, hacking the ones that remain locked. At the end of the room lays a terminal, and he starts to work on it, confiding in Sara’s lookout ability. The hacking software of his omnitool makes a quick work of the terminal’s security. A series of messages between the factions shows him that the Outcast had learned to fear the Initiative, knowing that the numbers of Nexus soldiers are growing by the day, the recovery of the Arks giving the Apex teams enough hands to deal with them. It seems that they decided to get food and weapons from the Resistance, going far enough to plan to steal Aya from their hands. Reyes sighs, making a copy of the hard drive in his omnitool before moving to check the rest of the room. Near the bodies, he finds a box filled with dog tags like the one he wears; the IDs some of the ex-Alliance forged with their pioneer numbers. With a sigh, he picks the box and stores it under his arm. Examining the bodies, he sees that one of them has the tattoo of the private guard of Sloan, and after taking a good look at his face, his memory locates him as one of the guards of the prison at the Headquarters. He ends the round opening the lids of a pair of boxes, finding inside a good number of arms, ammunition and rations with the Initiative logo on one and Angaran equipment on the other. Sara is still looking into the screen of her omnitool, searching the outside for any danger. “Little Wisp, I think we need to take this boxes with us. I'm not planning to leave them there, where this crazy troupe can find it.”

From her spot near the door, she takes a look inside the open crates, frowning a bit when she sees the quantity of lethal power they contain. “We can move the Tomkah closer and load them. If we can’t move them, I will use some biotics to do it. They will not have more toys to play if I can fight it.”

“Let’s go then. Come with me, just in case our friends are waiting for us to lower our guard.”

Just when they are about to leave the house, a Shockwave hits them, throwing them against the opposite wall of the door. Sara is on her feet almost immediately, surrounded by a cloud of energy, Backlash ready while she looks to Reyes, searching for any injury. “Reyes! Can you stand?”

He is still recovering from the impact, but nods to her, rolling to one side and standing behind some cover. When she sees him secured, she picks up the shotgun from the ground and leaves the house running at high speed. The staccato of a rifle assault filled the valley, and Reyes runs to the door, taking a quick look outside, only to see the Krogan from before charging against Sara. Instead of running or dodging, she adopts a running stance, and before the Krogan reaches her, she charges against him with a biotic attack. The force of the impact stops him and makes him lost his balance, landing on his ass. Without a single moment of hesitation, Sara stands beside him, shooting him in the head with the shotgun. As soon as the Krogan stops to move, she falls to the ground, and Reyes runs to help her. He helps her to sit back, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Sara, stay with me.”

With a soft and tired giggle, she moves a hand to grasp one of his armour closings. “The mighty Reyes being worried about me, how cute is that?”

Reyes slaps her head softly, “You are incorrigible. Let me take you to the Tomkah.”

She moves her other arm around his shoulders while she takes her in a princess's carry and walks to the vehicle. “I'm good, Reyes. Give me an energy bar and some water, and I will be on my feet in five minutes.”

Sara helps him opening the copilot door, and he puts her on the seat. Reyes gets inside too, moving directly to the back part to pick up the bag with the food. Sitting back behind the wheel, he starts to rummage inside the bag until he finds a couple of energy bars and a bottle of water. Giving her the bars, he takes a long gulp of the bottle before passing it to her. While she eats, he drives the vehicle near the door, parking it backwards as close as possible from the house. He moves to the back again, relocating the box and bags to one side of the truck, leaving enough space for the crates. Sara is finishing the bottle of water for when he returns to his seat. “I’ll go and try to move the boxes near the door, can you look out from here?” She nods, and he leaves the vehicle, stepping inside the house. The crates are heavy, but he manages to drag them to the door. When he opens the back door of the Tomkah, Sara is already moving to help him from the inside. Between the two of them, they load the crates, occupying almost half of the space in the back of it. Closing the door, Reyes returns inside the house to make the last check, returning to the vehicle and sitting behind the wheel shortly after. “Let’s go before some of their friends decide to come back. I’ll send Keema the position of this safehouse and my men will take care of it soon enough.”

She sits cross-legged, fixing the security belt and leaning against the headrest with a sigh. “That sounds like a good idea. I will help you if you want to clean this hills from this loot. I don’t like bullies, and they have earned the title without any doubt.”

Starting the engine, Reyes drives the vehicle to the road, following it to the north. “Let my men do their work. I’m sure they can deal with this bastards. Besides, we earned a little vacation, don’t you think?”

Stretching her back while yawning, Sara sounds incredibly sleepy. “I deserve a lot of things, but right now, my main desire is to lay back and cuddle with you for a loooong while.”

Reyes can just laugh, the Tomkah making a quick work of the distance to the lake near the ruins. “Let’s find a nice spot to stop then. We can set the camp and take a nap.”

“That sound--” A big yawn breaks her cadence. “Sorry. That sounds very nice right now.” She starts to fight to remain awake, the landscape screaming to her to maintain her eyes open, but her body wants to sleep almost as much as breathing. As soon as the vehicle reaches the great lake, Sara eyes open, her brain is finally winning the battle. The view is breathtaking; a big lake of turquoise waters, surrounded by Remnant relics, hills and rocks. Reyes drives the Tomkah over the hills on one of the sides, climbing the rocks until they reach the top. The little space on the top gives them enough place to park the vehicle near the wall rock at the end. Reyes turns on the security of the vehicle, the doors barring from the inside and the windows obscuring to avoid someone looking inside. Small overtures disguised along the side and the roof lets the vehicle recycle the air inside. When he moves to the back to start unrolling the bedrolls, Sara is still fixed to the window, enjoying the reflections of the sun on the water’s surface. Once Reyes starts to prepare the bed, he sees a cruel reality. “Well, Sara. It seems that your dream will come true, together with my personal torture. The crates don’t leave enough space to unroll the beds separately. We will have to share the space.”

Sara stretches again, turning to face him kneeling on the seat. “Don’t worry. I’m too tired to be a bad girl.”

Sighing in defeat, he starts to unclasp his armour. “Then get off of your armour, I’m sure as hell I will not let you sleep over me with all these hard edges.”

Starting to take off her armour too, she contorted her body over the seat, taking it piece by piece and letting it fall in the pilot chair. Before she takes off the breastplate, she turns to him. “Maybe you want to search for a shirt or something for me to sleep on. My under armour is-- well, let’s just say is revealing, and I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

He grunts, taking off his trousers, “You are really too tempting to be real, Sara. Let’s say that I will have the same problem having you at a close distance whatever you wear. Just try not to enjoy my situation very much.”

Having stopped her own work while enjoying the view, she blushes a bit when she finds herself staring at his body. “I’ll try my best. I can tell you that since I rest my head on the pillow, I will be no trouble for you, at least for some hours.”

Reyes ends with his armour, a neat pile of clothes and pieces over one of the crates. He picks a datapad from his bag and an energy bar, and lays down on the bedrolls, munching the bar while waiting for her. Reading the pad, he tries to distract himself from the show that is Sara fighting with her armour while kneeling on the seat. One of the moments he let his gaze roam to her, he sees the great quantity of creamy skin that the armour has been covering, the under armour is just a tiny top made of some stretchy fabric, leaving almost nothing to his imagination. With a sigh, he returns his attention to the pad, trying to distract his body, dreading what is about to happen almost as much as wanting it.

When the last piece of her leg covers hits the seat, she crawls to the back, laying beside Reyes and covering her body with the blanket. Giving him her back, she starts to tumble, trying to find a good position. After some minutes of thrashing, he gets bored of it and pushes her against him, and she turns with a contented sigh, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Thanks, Reyes. Wake me up in some hours, and we can look for a better place to make camp if you want.”

Ignoring the feeling of her body against his as much as he can, he fixes his attention again on the datapad. “Yeah. Rest well, Sara, you earned it.” Her only answer is a soft snore that makes him chuckle.


	9. Angaran ruins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one!! This two are so cute for me that I can stay away from them for long >_<
> 
> As always, no beta in this fic, be kind with my attacks to your grammar :P I do my best every time, but I'm pretty sure that I still got a lot of errors in pronouns and verbs T_T
> 
> Let me know if you are enjoying the story, or if you want to make a bet about how long will Reyes resist Sara's charms :P
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> PS: See the end notes for translations on the Spanish expressions.

The midday sun enters through the tinted windows of the vehicle. Reyes has been moving between dreamland and Kadara for the last hour. The cadence of Sara’s breathing has turned in a lullaby, calling for him to join her. When the datapad falls over his chest for the sixth time, he surrenders, putting it aside and closing his eyes for real. He falls asleep almost immediately. The next thing he feels is Sara putting a leg between his and tightening the grasp on his chest. When he raises his head to look, the blanket has fallen to her hips, and she is leaning half of her body over his. With a growl, Reyes returns his head to the ground, trying to think of anything except the warm body wrapped around him.

Ten minutes of sweet torture later, Sara starts to wake up, stretching lazily against him, her little hand leaning on his chest, tickling him when her fingers toyed with the hair on it. Half rising, she leans her chin on his shoulder, looking at him with a sleepy smile. “Good morning?”

“Is more like Good evening, but yeah, good morning to you too, Sara.” Rubbing his eyes for a moment, Reyes raises his head leaning it on his arm. “Can you at least look a little bit guilty?”

Sara seems to notice in this very moment that she is almost nude laying on him, in a more than familiar position. With a giggle, she hides her face on his shoulder while moving her leg. “Ups, sorry. Can’t control my body when I’m sleeping. Thanks for letting me use you as a pillow, Reyes. I rested very well.”

Having recovered the control of his legs, Reyes takes a moment to stretch his back, moving Sara with him and making her giggle. “You are welcome. Now we have to eat something and take the road again. We are close to the ruins, but we still have to find a place to set up the camp.”

Rolling to the side, Sara sits, looking at him over her shoulder. “All work, no fun.” Sliding a finger under her bra, Reyes pulls the elastic and lets it go, slapping her back hard enough to make her swear. Reyes is laughing hard when Sara turns to face him, hands already moving to make him tickles on the ribs. “You will regret this, Mister Vidal.”

Reyes reacts quickly enough to grab her wrist, stopping her movement. “Easy there, Sara. We still have to move. We can play once we are settled for the night. Besides, we are almost nude, remember?”

With a pout on her face, she sits back on her heels, Reyes still holding her hands following her and sitting too. “Cheater. But ok, I will have my revenge later.”

He let her go and starts to stand up. “Can you think of something worse than having to survive in this close quarters with you in this outfit? Cruel woman…”

Lowering her gaze, she sighs, stopping the struggle with him. “Fine. Let’s get dressed then. You still have to show me more of Kadara’s secrets.” When he let her hands go, Sara crawls to the front seats, starting to put on the pieces of her armour. When Reyes ends with his, he folds the bedrolls to one side letting a space to walk inside the vehicle. Sara is closing the last pieces of her upper armour when she turns to look at him over her shoulder. “I think we have a friend coming to say hi.”

Reyes leans on the backseat, taking a look outside. A big eiroch is walking in their direction, and it is searching for them, for the look of its posture. With some swearing in Spanish, Reyes pushes Sara aside, sitting behind the wheel and turning on the engine. “We need to go before it finds us. This thing can do severe damage even to the Tomkah.” Going backwards, he descends to the lower level of the hill, the sound of the engine has attracted the attention of the eiroch and it is running to them. Reyes hits the gas when he hears the click of Sara’s security harness fixing her to the seat. Instead of going for the easy way, he drives the vehicle directly to jump over the cliff. The suspension of the wheels softens the fall, but they will remember it later. Once they hit the ground level, Reyes hits the gas, even more, driving as quickly as possible away from the lake. Sara takes the time to study the remnant pillars scattered around the water when Reyes makes the Tomkah turn to the right, entering a valley between mountains that looks inhabited. A couple of miles later, Reyes slows down, easing the grip on his hands on the wheel. “Mierda, odio a esos bichos.”

With a soft chuckle, Sara returns her gaze to the outside, “I suppose that you didn’t like them very much?”

Reyes keeps driving to the end of the valley, “When you watch, first hand, how one of those things breaks in half an ex-marine and hurt deadly another two, your opinion about Kadara’s wildlife may get tainted since that moment.”

“And they live around all Kadara? Because you are starting to make me feel nervous about sleeping in the open.”

At the end of the valley, Reyes turns to the left, the silhouette of unnatural structures dotting the mountain in front of them. “They do, but for something we still didn’t know, they stay away from some areas, like the one we are heading. Anyway, I will activate some sensors around the vehicle at night, better safe than sorry.”

Sara hums her agreement while her gaze is plastered to the top of the mountain. Reyes sees her expression and has to chuckle, despising the feeling of danger from a moment ago. She turns to face him when she hears him, blushing a bit while sitting back. “Yeah, make fun of the poor girl who has been trapped in a metal cage for more than six months since we arrived at Heleus.”

Reyes starts to climb a mountain in front of the ruins, “I’m not making fun of you, Sara. Is just amusing how much of your attention I can lose in a short lapse of time.”

Sticking her tongue to him, Sara puts a mischievous frown on her face. “You are overdressed to be the centre of my attentions, Mister Vidal.”

Stopping at the top of the hill, Reyes just growls to her, before turning off the engine. “I served it to you on a silver plate, didn’t I? Let’s go back to the matter at hand. I think that this is our best spot for the camp, we can put the sensors around the hill, and got enough space to manoeuvre the vehicle if we need to make an escape.”

Smiling as broadly as possible, Sara gives him a thumbs up. “Sounds like a plan. Can we take a quick look at the ruins before the light fade away? Please?”

Reyes frees himself from the harness and moves to the back of the Tomkah, picking up the sensors from his bag. “Fine, but we will put the sensors first, I don’t want to do it in the dark.”

She waits until he is seating again to pick up her weapons and leave the car jumping happily to the ground. Taking the steps that separate her from the cliff, she stops near it, completely entranced with the view. When she listens Reyes coming closer, she sheaths the pistol, leaving the shotgun on her hand. “Spirits, Reyes, your planet is beautiful.”

Seeing her against the orange sun, with the mountains and clouds as a landscape, Reyes doesn't have the heart to disagree, even when in his mind, she adds a new layer of beauty to the view. “Yes, it is. But is not my planet, I just had the luck to rule over a little spaceport on it, nothing more, nothing less.”

Turning to face him, Sara puts an innocent pose, even trying to hide the shotgun behind her back, “My oh my, Mister Vidal! What a humble man is my king!” Reyes’ guts always go flip-flopping every time she calls him ‘my king’, thinking about how it will sound voiced with passion instead of a jibe. When Reyes didn’t answer her, Sara tilts her head, looking concerned. “Did I I left you speechless, or I had an eiroch on my back? I don’t know which option is worse.”

“Sara… Dame un respiro!” Shaking his head, Reyes returns to the Tomkah, closing the doors with the security code before starting to go down the hillside. He begins to position the sensors around the perimeter, including the cliff, just in case a wild adhi decides to pay them a visit. Sara follows him, a silent presence behind him. When he puts the last one, he turns to face her. She was worrying her lower lip avoiding to look at him. He takes a deep breath before closing the distance. “Still wanna see the ruins?”

She frees her lip, leaving it swollen and reddened, and Reyes had serious troubles to not look to it. “Yeah, sure. Let's go before we lost the light.”

Together, they climb the hill. The ruins are spread out in a big space, ruined columns and arches dotting the landscape. The lowest ruins had some kind of altar on it, surrounded by pillars and other pieces of an old structure. Sara is like a girl in a toy shop, taking pics of everything. Reyes decides to sit down in a corner, letting her move freely around the area. When she stops near the altar, Reyes is taking a look around, searching for any outlaw or wildlife, and he didn’t see her picking up a little box from her belt bag. When he starts to listen to her voice, he finds her talking with SAM. Raising a brow, he turns his full attention to her. Sara is walking around the altar, the box laying over it. “Well SAM, I sent you the pics of the glyphs. Scott told me that after Meridian, you got yourself a better database for the Jardaan language, did you?”

The synthetic voice of SAM sounded lower than it does with Scott in the room, “Correct, Sara. I can understand a hundred of variations of ancient Angaran and Jardaan glyphs. I need to construct a 3D recreation of the ruins to get a better image of the writings. Can you send me a full set of images of the ruins? It will be good if I have every corner covered, to avoid blank spaces if possible.”

“Of course, SAM. I’ll start right now and send it to you tonight. Do you think you can have the translation for tomorrow morning?”

A couple of seconds after she ends her question, SAM answers. “I’ll do my best, Sara. We are at Aya right now. I don’t have any urgent work assigned.”

Sara claps softly before moving again to the altar, “Thanks, SAM! I will contact you soon. Ryder out.” Storing the box in her bag again, she turns to face Reyes, who is looking at her with an arched brow. “Ok, ok! I may have forgotten to tell you that Scott gave me a quantum node to contact SAM.”

Shaking his head, Reyes stands, closing the distance to her. “Well, having a way to contact your brother in case of emergency is a good thing, even knowing that he can use it to control you, well, us. Is just something I have liked to know beforehand.”

She shrugs, playing with her omni, already preparing the photographic software. “This beauty only works if I turn it on. Until then, the only think Scott can do is ask SAM for my location, but they don’t have audio or image until I choose to let them. Don’t worry, Reyes. They will not spy on us. I want you all for myself.” Sara winks to him before turning back and starting to take more detailed pics of the ruins.

Reyes sighs and tries to sound offended, but can’t fight against her sense of humour. “Five minutes, Sara, five minutes is the maximum time you let me stop thinking about wicked things.”

Stopping her movement, she turns to face him from behind the altar, “Do you really can stop for that long? Shit, I need to work harder then, because I can’t stop for a single minute if I got you in my periphery, my sexy smuggler.”

Still smiling, Reyes looks to the sky, “God, what have I done to deserve this punishment?”

Turning around the altar taking pics every ten inches, Sara giggles softly, “You said yes, my friend. I can be pestering Efra if you had said no, not that I’m complaining, don’t take me wrong. I prefer your company, thank you very much. Besides....” She stops for a moment, cocking a hip and leaning a hand on it, trying to look sexy. “Scott said beautiful things about how you kiss. Maybe I’m a bit intrigued and wanted to check myself if he is exaggerating about your abilities or not.”

“And my personal eiroch charged again!”

Raising her hands in surrender, she blushes a bit. “Sorry. I did it again. Can’t fight it, Reyes, you are too tempting. But I promised to behave, and I’m not doing it very well.” Turning on the omni again, she resumes her work. After a couple of minutes, he turns to Reyes. “Can you go to the upper area and take pics of the glyphs over there? This way we can send all the images together to SAM and get an analysis done for tomorrow morning.”

He closes the mail he was writing to Keema and nods to her, starting to climb the hillside to the upper ruins. Once there, he begins to take pictures mimicking how she is doing down the hill, taking one every few inches, and doing some general pics to help SAM to order the images in case he needs it. Sara joins him before he ends with the last column, sitting on the edge of the cliff, facing north. Reyes joins her as soon as he finishes. The sun is starting to set, washing the landscape in a variety of orange and red shades. The temperature is starting to fall, soft clouds of fog creeping from the heated waters of the lake. Sara takes a picture of the landscape, showing it proudly to Reyes. “It reminds me of the Monument Valley. Father took me there the day before I joined the Alliance. We did some free climbing and spend the night under the stars. After that, I didn’t see him or my parents for three years, when the tragedy hit our little house at the Citadel. Have you been there?”

“Yeah. I visited it before joining the Alliance too. I gathered a group of friends and did a route across the states, ending in Vancouver. My last adventure before shackling me to the army, as my old buddies loved to say.”

Raising the arm with the omni in front of them, Sara leans against Reyes, taking a pic of the two of them and the ruins behind them. “Yours sounds funnier than my last day of freedom.” She sends the picture directly to his omni, smiling softly before leaning on her hands and get lost again in the landscape in front of her. “Luckily for me, I got a second chance in life to choose how I want to live and spend every second of my life. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to enjoy my regained freedom, Reyes.”

Punching her ribs, he leans back too, “Is not like I’m not enjoying your company, you know. Well, maybe when you can’t close the door between your brain and your mouth, but is part of your charm.”

“I will remember you those words when you are chastising me for talk aloud about your sexiness, Mister Vidal.”

He has to laugh, “And the doors had opened again! Let’s go before you start to say things that will make me regret my words.”

Reyes stands, offering his hands to Sara to help her. The sun is low in the sky when they start to go down the hill. When they find the first sensor, Reyes activates them, linking them to his omnitool. Before arriving at the Tomkah, Reyes unsheaths the pistol, just in case they had some unwanted visitor nearby. After a quick check, they open the doors and enter the vehicle, looking them and obscuring the windows again.

Once inside, Reyes moves directly to the back, taking a look to the crates occupying half the space. “Do you think we can move them to the back? We will lose the door but gain some space. Having to spend almost all our time inside, it will be better if we can stretch our limbs, don’t you think?”

  
Taking off her weapons, she lays them on the floor, behind the seats. “Let’s give it a try. It will be easier with biotics, do you mind?”

“Suit yourself, my Little Wisp.”

With a deep breath, Sara starts to glow, the blue aura around her even brighter in the semi-darkness of the Tomkah's interior. Like she did at the Tartarus, she begins to accumulate energy between her palms, rolling it until she forms a ball, and then extending it to create a sheet. Covering the first crate with it, she moves it over the other one. Once done, she closes her eyes for a moment, before generating more energy, using her fingers to extend the sheet to cover the second box too. “Reyes, can you move them to the back? I’m more worn out than I thought and I need all my energy to maintain the mass field.”

Passing beside her with care of not brushing against her, Reyes starts to manoeuvre the crates until they lay at the end of the space, horizontally and leaving a big space for them to stay. When he stops moving the boxes, Sara dissipates the field, gasping when the exhaustion hits her. She uses the back of the seats to stabilise herself. Reyes is beside her almost immediately, catching her and taking the weight of her body from her legs. “Sara, are you ok?”

She nods, slightly lightheaded, “Yeah, don’t worry. I need a good meal and a long, long rest. I will be like new tomorrow.”

“I listened that before, you know?.”

She raises her face to look at him, the remnants of her powers still glowing in her eyes. “I must be getting old. You must be rubbing your age on me.”

With a shake of his head, he leans her back on the seats, taking a step back but remaining close enough to catch her in case her legs fail to hold her. “Haha. Can you remove your armour by yourself or do you need some help?”

“I’ll try to do it myself, but maybe you will have to help to store them.”

Reyes starts to unclasp his armour while keeping an eye on her, lending her a hand when she fights with a closing more than five seconds. The pieces fall to the ground with a metallic clank, and the echoes of it reverberated in the solid walls for some time after the last piece falls. She sits on the floor to take off the boots and leg protections. Reyes is already in his underwear, searching inside of his back until he finds a clean shirt and puts it on. “Have you brought some sleep clothes?”

She fights with the closings of her left boot until she can hear the hissing sound of the depressurization. “I hope so! I don’t want to sleep on this every night!” Reyes fights to stop the growl creeping on his throat, barely capable of controlling it, turning it in a snort. Passing her her backpack, he starts to pick up the pieces of her armour, moving them beside his at the back of the room. After some rummaging inside, Sara recovers an Alliance t-shirt, clearly a couple of sizes bigger than her. Putting it on around her body without getting the arms into the sleeves, she fights a bit until she unclasps the bra, letting it fall to her legs while she finishes putting on the shirt. With some precise movements, she takes off the pantalettes that she uses as under armour. “Spirits, much better this way.”

Reyes is already fishing inside the provisions’ bag. “I really expect that you were wearing some underwear under the little pants, Ryder.”

With a wink, Sara crosses her legs in front of her, “Of course I do. I will not steal from you the pleasure of stripping off my panties with your teeth.”

A ration pack flies to land on Sara’s face, followed by a pained growl from Reyes. “Minx.”

Sara laughs hard before answering him. “You love it.” Recovering the package and reading the surprise inside, she can only snort. “Curry? Really? Not the best idea for a night meal, Reyes.”

With a chuckle, Reyes rummages more inside the bag, “My lady is a picky one! Let's see what we have to cover your royal tastes.” Pulling off a handful of packages, he starts to read the labels. “We have some soup, rice with chicken, pasta, oh! We even have a pudding for dessert.”

Throwing the package back to Reyes, Sara crawls until she is sitting beside him. With a quick look at his hands, she steals the bag with the rice and the pudding, giggling while she hides her hands behind her back when he tries to recover them. “Your lady has chosen, be a nice king and let me have the rice. I can share the pudding with you if you are a good lad.”

“Are you the new ruler of Kadara? Because I can think of wrong persons to have over me.”

The soft blush creeping on her face is so cute that Reyes can’t stop the grin showing in his. Putting the pudding between them again, she moves away from him, leaning her back on the walls of the Tomkah. “You are being cruel, but I’m a magnanimous ruler, and we can share it.” Once she is is settled comfortably, she breaks the heat sealant, giving the package some time to do its magic. A minute later, she opens the seal and recovering the spoon that is fixed to the package, and she starts to eat. “Same bad taste as ever. I didn’t miss it.”

Reyes had done the same with his pasta and is eating it with a grin on his face. “Yeah. I never understood how they made it to make every meal they pack up taste this twisted.” He finishes his meal as quickly as possible, drinking a long gulp of water after. Looking intently to the pudding between them, he turns to search again on his backpack. “I need something to wash the bad taste.” He recovers a little flask and a bag full of something that remembers her to berries. “I can share if you ask it nicely.”

She has finished with her rice, putting down the package beside her. “Don’t tempt me, Mister Vidal. If I remember correctly, it was you who asked me to behave.”

Moving to sit with her, he leans his back against the wall, shoulder to shoulder, and takes a short sip from the flask. “Right. We can try to behave like adults for a while.” He passes the bottle to her before opening the bag and picking one of the berries, humming happily when the sweet taste erases the one from the alcohol.

Taking a long gulp, she coughs when the strong liquid burns her tongue. “Spirits, Reyes! Ryncol? Why the hell did you have a flask of ryncol?”

“Because is funny? Besides, is the more efficient way to get drunk without having to carry full bottles of poison. Here, take one of those, it will erase the flavour of the booze and maybe serve as an ‘I’m sorry’.”

She returns the flask, already feeling the alcohol turning her mind in a puddle. “Mister Vidal, have I forgotten to mention that I didn’t handle myself very well when I’m very drunk?”

He takes a handful of berries, pushing two of them inside her mouth. “Yeah, you forgot to say it. Eat some fruit and get some food in your organism before I can start to regret my actions.”

Swallowing the berries, she just laughs, taking the bag from his hands and starting to eat the fruit like they were popcorn. Letting her body slip from the wall, she moves until she is laying on the floor, resting on her side on an elbow. “I’m kidding, Reyes. I got more self-control than that, but I will advise you not to give more ryncol. I can’t promise to be a good girl when drunk.”

Closing the flask and putting it aside, he crosses his legs and steals some berries, eating them with a happy grin. “I’ll try to remember. Talking about remembering things, we need to send the pics to SAM, right?”

With a sigh, she gives him the bag, moving until her head is resting over his tight. “We can do it while we enjoy our dessert.” She raises her left arm, opening the screen and starting to navigate the pics she took, deleting the ones that got blurred. Reyes is looking at her screen, and he sees she passing quickly some pics of him sitting on the ruins. Averting his gaze, he picks some berries and feeds her with them, her returning smile something to remember. “I can get used to this, my king.”

Filling her mouth with another berry, he grunts to her, “Please, can you stop calling me that?”

She swallows the fruit, frowning slightly at his words. “Ok, another thing I did wrong." She sighs softly, returning her attention to her omnitool. "Can you send me the pics you took?”

Passing her the bag on his hands, he opens his omni, swift fingers moving to write the commands to send her the set of pictures directly via the wireless connection. He finds the pic she took of them, “We can send this one to Scott if we want to have him pay us a visit.” Clicking the send button, he closes the screen.

Sara is smiling to him, “I’m sure he will come running if necessary. We can send it to Vetra, to show she and Drack how we are enjoying their present.” A beep sounded on her omnitool when the images started to download on it. “Let’s write them a mail meanwhile.” Opening a blank screen, she begins to write:

_'Hey, Vetra!_

_First of all! Thank you very much for your present! Reyes and I are enjoying it right now. We are sleeping near the Angaran ruins. The Tomkah is a gorgeous machine. We had our share of adventures so far, but the mechanical beauty is helping us to deal with them._

_Reyes says ‘thank you’ too. We are behaving, don’t worry. I didn’t break him yet ;) I’ll send you a picture of us, don’t show it to Scott or he will force you to pay a visit to Kadara and maybe will want to break Reyes’ legs._

_Give our thanks to the old man, too! I promise to bring a good bottle of Ryncol for him next time._

_Have fun in Aya! We’ll contact you soon._

_Sara &Reyes'_

Turning to face him, she shows him the screen, “What do you think?”

Shrugging while popping a berry on his mouth, he pinches her cheek. “You know that you are giving leverage against me to one of the best smugglers I ever met, right?”

Sara winks to him, capturing his finger and using it to hit the send button. “Yeah, but Vetra is cool. She will never use it against you because it will be like using it against me. We are pals, don’t worry.” A final beep signals the end of the transfer of the pics from Reyes omni, and she stretches before sitting back. “I will connect with SAM and send the pics. And then I’m going to sleep until the sun rises!”

“Fine, let me put the bags aside and unroll the beds. Now that we have more space for them, we can do it right.”

With a pout on her face, she crawls to where the armours lay, recovering the quantum node from the bag. “If I knew you would make me sleep in a corner I will not have helped you to move the crates.”

She connects the node, and the synthetic voice of SAM sounds almost immediately, stopping their conversation. “Hello, Sara.”

“Hey, SAM. We have the pics ready. I’m sending it to you right now. Let me know when you have received them. We tried to take images of every glyph on the area and made some panoramics as references. I hope it will be enough for your analysis.”

“Receiving data, decoding enqueued.” Sara let the node in the floor and helps Reyes with the bedrolls while the pics uploaded to the cloud. They were finishing with it when SAM’s voice echoed inside the space. “Sara, the upload has been successful. I’ll start working with the images right now. Contact me in some hours, and I will give you all the information I extracted from them.”

“Thanks, SAM. Have fun with the glyphs. Ryder out.” Sara returns to where she put the node, closing the connection and storing it back in her bag. Stretching her back and arms, she returns to the bedrolls, laying down on hers with a contented sigh. “Spirits, I feel like I can sleep until the next century! You can stay awake, and with the lights on, you will not disturb me.”

Turning off the lights inside the cabin, he follows her example, laying on his bed. He opened his omni and started to work on it while she turns to face him. The beds are positioned one beside the other but at arm’s distance. Extending a hand to her, she squeezes her fingers when she takes it. “Good night, Sara. Rest well.”

Letting his hand go and positioning herself better on the bed, she bends an arm under her head before closing her eyes with a soft smile on her face. “Good night, Reyes. Thanks for a good first day on Kadara.”

She falls asleep in minutes, the sound of her calmed breathing a soft lullaby to Reyes, who ends closing his omnitool after twenty minutes and joins her in Morpheus’ realm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Mierda, odio a esos bichos --> Shit, I hate those creatures  
> Dame un respiro --> Give me a break


	10. A night in the wildness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another week, another chapter!! I'll try my best to keep the outcoming of new material to once a week, not exactly the same day, but I'll try my best ;)
> 
> Again, thanks for reading my fic! I continue struggling with my language issues, but I hope you don't want to hit me in the face with a dictionary :P
> 
> I don't know if I will be able to not write some smuff soon... this pair is eating me alive with their sexual tension hahahaha
> 
> Let me know what you think of the fic, or the stupid ideas I'm having about the lore. I love hearing your opinions!!! and if you find some horrorful mistake, please, tell me and I'll try to fix it ;)

Something wakes him in the middle of the night. Opening his eyes, Reyes finds interior dimly lighted by the moonlight, coloured with the red, blue and green from the control panel’s led. He stirred a bit, trying to find whatever disturbed him. Sara had her back to him, and he decides to check the sensors and security cams of the Tomkah, just in case. The orange light of his omni brightens the little space almost blindly, and he has to blink for a while until his eyes stop hurting looking at it. Nothing shows on the cam or sensors, and he closes the screen with a huff. Deciding that maybe his paranoid mind is playing with him again, he bends an arm behind his head and closes his eyes, trying to fall asleep again. A couple of minutes later, he feels it again, and this time he sees a blur of light even with his eyes closed. He sits in a sudden movement, looking around, only to find the telltale glow of biotics dissipating around Sara’s body. The hand resting on her hip is twitching, fingers opening and closing. _‘She must be having a nightmare.’_ Without giving it a second thought, he reaches between them, grasping her shoulder and moving her, trying to wake her. Sara’s reaction is like a whip: one moment he was laying on his side touching her arm, the next second he is pinned against the bedroll with a glowing Sara over him. The fog of sleep is still around her mind, and seeing how she is grasping his shirt, he feels the urgent need to wake her. “Sara! Wake up before you make something we both will regret!”

 

His voice echoed in the space, amplified by the silence around them. Sara's eyes snapped open, the hands on his chest starting to relax but the glowing still there. Her mind uses a full minute to get a grasp of what is happening, and she hides her face on his chest when she does it. Her powers start to recede, taking with them the light that was illuminating the interior of the Tomkah. “Reyes…” Her voice sounds muffled against his chest, but he can feel her discomfort and the little trembling on her body.

 

Moving an arm to her back, he does his best to comfort her, “It's ok, Sara. No harm done.” He can feel her start to relax, sinking even more on his body until she lays completely over him. The adrenaline is starting to dissipate, and his heart rate is spiking again, but this time for a very different reason. Trying to distract his mind, he keeps talking. “Hey, everything's okay, Sara. Look at me.”

 

For a moment he believes that she will ignore him, but at last, she raises her head, leaning her chin on his chest. “Sorry about that. Forgot to warn you about waking up a biotic.”

 

Reyes shrugs, “No worries, my Little Wisp. Next time I will wake you with a bucket of cold water. Better safe than sorry, right?” 

 

The humour in his voice is so obvious that she returns him the half smile he was giving her. She leans her face on his chest again, “I’m sorry anyway. But I can't say that I'm not happy with it. Besides of the nightmare ending, I got a chance to change my bed for a softer and hotter one.”

 

Even in the middle of the night, half asleep, she is a flirt. Smiling softly, he decides to answer her with one of his own. “You will have to excuse this sorry bed when some of the parts stop being soft.”

 

With a grunt, she hits his ribs. “I'm too sleepy to deal with that kind of comments with a cold head, Reyes. Don't tempt me. I don't know if I will have the strength to resist it.”

 

Reyes has to laugh, the movement making her giggle. “Said the one that has her body flustered against mine dressed in a sweet excuse of pyjamas.”

 

A soft sigh accompanies her movement, sliding to one side of Reyes’ body until she is only resting her head and a hand on him. “Yeah, you are right.  Sorry again. It seems that I expend half of my time with you excusing me.”

 

His hand joins hers over his chest. “And you didn't have to ask for my forgiveness for every single thing you do. I'm a grown man. I can handle you, Little Wisp.” Squeezing her fingers, he takes a look outside through the windows, seeing the sky dark and no sign of the rising sun. “Do you think you can go back to sleep?” Sara nods, starting to raise her body from him when his arm pushes her down again. “I didn't say go back to sleep in your bed, right?” When she didn't curl against him, he sighs, squeezing her hand again. “We both need the rest, and it will be easier if we can give one another some comfort in case we had a bad dream again.”

 

Curling finally against him, she rests her head on his chest. “You don't have to spoil me, Reyes. I know is not being easy for you having me here. No need to force yourself.”

 

The sleep is already fogging his mind, but Reyes is conscious enough to answer her. “Sara, I’m a selfish man, as your brother loves to remind me. If I honestly didn’t want you here, I will not have you. So stop the nonsense and get some sleep.” Morpheus welcomed them soon after, letting them sleep the rest of the night peacefully. 

 

The alarm of one of the sensors startled them, and Reyes opens his omnitool’s screen with a quick movement, eyes still blinking to get used to the morning light. When the screen shows him the cam of the sensor, he finds a Creeper moving between the ruins and the hill, like he was doing a guard. Shifting around the images of the rest of the cams, Reyes can see that a group of them is moving around the area, but no sign of their big brothers. With a sigh, he closes the screen and covers his eyes with his hand. Movement beside him makes him take off the hand to look at it. Sara is sitting with her legs crossed, rubbing her eyes with a hand while she maintains the lower end of her shirt covering her body. Her hair was a mess, and she got a big sleeping mark on her face. The image makes Reyes chuckle. The powerful biotic turned in a messy young woman fighting against sleepiness. She turns to face him when she hears him, returning him a sweet smile. “Hey there. What a way to wake up!”

 

“Yeah. Damn robots! Anyway, good morning, Sara. At least we will not find the surprise when we leave the vehicle.” He uses the moment to stretch his full body, back raising from the floor in an arch. When he returns his gaze to her, she is blushing slightly, her gaze fixed on the wall in front of her while she fidgets with the hem of the shirt. A quick look down reveals the reason: he wears a very distinctive morning wood, and the movement has raised the shirt to his waist, showing it in full splendour. With a lopsided grin plastered on his face, he sits too, a leg crosses over the other while he leans on his hands. Letting the moment pass, he just tries to continue the conversation. “Do you want to contact SAM while I search for something to eat?”

 

She is trying to coax her hair to a more ordered form, failing elegantly and giving up after a minute of passing her fingers through it. “Sure. Let me pick the node and see what he has found.” Moving away from the bedrolls, she crawls a bit before kneeling in front of the armours, picking up the node and the provisions’ bag while returning to the bedrolls. Giving the backpack to Reyes, she returns to her previous spot, crossing her legs again and opening the connection while Reyes searches for something edible in the bag. 

 

A couple of seconds pass until SAM’s voice echoed in the Tomkah’s interior. “Hello, Sara, Mister Vidal.”

 

Reyes rolls his eyes while choosing between the bags on his hands. Sara just smiles, rubbing her eyes. “Morning, SAM. How is the weather on Aya?”

 

The chuckle that sounds from behind her makes her join him but trying not to sound very loud. SAM answer surprises them. “Boring.” 

 

The pair inside the vehicle burst out laughing. Sara just raises the node, like if she can see the blue sphere of SAM. “How can the weather be boring?”

 

The mechanical voice didn't have tone, but they can feel them anyway in his words. “They have cycles. The first stage, sun at a perfect temperature, then some rain, some fog, and the sun come again. The Same range of temperature and precipitation every six hours. And listening to the Pathfinder complain about it is not helping. He even asked me for a joke every time he returns to the Tempest.”

 

Sara laughs so hard that she starts crying. When she calms herself, Reyes is looking at her with a lopsided smile while he heats the bags on his hands. “I'm sorry for all of you, SAM. Scott is awful when bored. Hope our pics gave you something to entertain yourself for a while.”

 

“Thanks, Sara. I used an hour to recreate the ruins in a three-dimensional picture. Translation done, I send it to your omnitool.” A beep on her omni signals the message before SAM continues. “It seems like the Angaran got a series of temples surrounding a sacred place. Seeing that the Vault is not in the centre of the map I created with the depictions on the ruins’ text, we can assume that the Sacred Place is an unknown one.”

 

Sara is grinning happily, “That's excellent news, SAM! Maybe we can find the rest of the temples and even the centre of it! I'm sure the Moshae will love to hear about it, but we will wait until we can confirm it. Thank you. SAM. I'll contact you if we need more help, or to share our findings.”

 

“You're welcome. Sara, I have messages queued for you from the Tempest crew. I will send them to you via the node.”

 

When their omnitools beeped, Sara looked to Reyes, who has a surprised look on his face. “Thanks. That will be all, SAM. We'll talk soon. Ryder out.” Closing the connection, she turns to face Reyes. “It seems that we have some reading to do, but I really need to pee. Hand me the shotgun, please.” Crawling again to the armours, she puts her boots on, giving Reyes a funny image to remember. He handles her the weapon, and she moves to the side door, taking a look outside with the cams. “I'll be back in a moment.”

 

While she is away, he opens the screen to see who has sent him a message. To his surprise, he has two, one from Vetra and one from Scott. Curiosity got the best of him, and he opens the one from the Pathfinder.

 

_ ‘Hello, Reyes. _

 

_ I hope my sister is not giving you a hell of a time. She can be a little blunt, the gate between her brain and her mouth is always opened.  _

 

_ Well… Gil made me promise that I will contact you. I've never been good at this, but it always easier writing the words than saying them.  _

 

_ I'm sorry for how I treated you. Seeing it with perspective, and some help by Gil, Vetra and Drack, I understand why you acted how you did. I was wounded and reacted how I always do, bittering about everything, making you feel awful for having chosen your own way to survive in Andromeda while I slept. I will not say that I'm sorry for how things have ended between us, because thanks to what happened in that cave, I won Gil’s heart and more happiness than I ever thought possible. But I'm sorry for having lost the chance to have you as a friend, or a colleague at least.  _

 

_ With all this said, I want you to know that I entrusted my sister to you, knowing very well what will happen if you remain in her company for more than a few days. I know I will regret this words, but half the Tempest had been beating me every day to put your mind at ease. Go ahead, if that's what you want. Andromeda is a dark place without we adding more sadness and loneliness to it.  _

 

_ We'll try to pay a visit to Kadara soon. Let's hope I can find the way to tell you all this face to face. Gil says ‘Hey gorgeous!’ (sorry, he is like this since Jill’s gave us the news) and sends a big hug to Sara. _

 

_ Hugs for the two of you, _

_ Scott.’ _

 

Reyes is so engrossed re-reading the message that he didn't hear the door opening and closing. He swears when Sara touch his shoulder. She just smiles at him, shaking her head. “It must be a fascinating message to have you so absorbed! Lucky for you, it was me and not an Outcast with a wish for a new ride.”

 

He is blushing, but he knows she will not see it, giving silent thanks to his inheritance for his dark colouring. He had let his guard down in the worst place possible, but can't fight it. The letter had done something to his mind. How long has he been waiting for something like this, for a signal that he at least didn't hate him? With a lopsided grin, he closes the screen and stretches lazily. “Well, is not every day that I got a message from the saviour of Heleus, so I think that I have the right to enjoy it for a little while.”

 

She is taking off the boots, shotgun resting beside the door. “Oh, Scott has contacted you? Spirits, I love Gil more every day, he is a very good influence to Scott and his dark moods. Good news?”

 

His bladder uses that moment to remind him that he hadn't peed since yesterday. Standing from the floor, he recovers his boots, putting them on. “I will say yes for now. They will try to stop by soon, let's see how he acts then.” Moving to the side door, he signals her weapon, “Do you mind?”

 

Sara nods to him, already searching for clean clothes in the bag. “All yours. I don't think you will need it, but be careful with the kickback if you use it.”

 

Shaking his head, he opens the door, leaving the Tomkah with a ‘Yes mum’ that earned him be hit by a bag of heated oatmeal. Once he leaves the bag inside, he locks the door and moves away from the vehicle.

 

Sara decides to use the time to change her clothes and read her messages. Opening the screen, she finds a letter from Scott, together with one from Vetra, and another from Gil. With a soft smile, she begins the one for her favourite turian.

 

_ “Hello there, Ryder-2! _

 

_ You two look good together, but I suppose you already know it. I had the picture framed in my office, loved the face of your brother when he found it an hour ago... Kidding! Anyway, is good to see Reyes smiling, he has turned very serious since he took control of Kadara Port.  _

 

_ Glad to hear that the Tomkah is useful. Drack says that you need to test its force against an Eiroch. More than a thousand years shooting guns and he still wants to fight with every big monster he can find, the crazy old man.  _

 

_ We will be stuck on Aya for some time. Scott said we would try to stop in Kadara before the next assignment. Let's see how we end this one. I don't know for how long I can bribe the guards to cover Drack and Liam’s behaviour.  _

 

_ Contact me when you can! SAM told me that you have a way to communicate with the Tempest, so don't be shy! I want details… all of them! _

 

_ Have fun there! _

_ Nyx. _

 

_ PS: Go for it, girl! You earned it!” _

 

Sara is grinning when she opens the one from Gil. It only has a pic of him and Scott, signed with a _‘Love you, sis! Have fun for us out there!’_ The one from her brother is similar, with a big pic, almost identical to the previous one, besides something on their hands. Using the zoom, she enlarges the pic, finding an ultrasound image. Below the pic, she finds the words she will engrave with fire on her mind! _'Say hi to Alec and Ellen Brody!'_  She spends some time just looking at the picture, enjoying the happiness on the faces of her brother and Gil. With a contented sigh, she closes the screen and puts on the under armour pants, searching for the bra between her clothes. When she finds it, she takes off the shirt, letting it fall on the floor, and puts on the bra. Recovering a package of wet wipes, she starts to clean her body with one of them, washing away some of the sweat from yesterday combats. Before she can end with it, the door opens, and she turns to face it with biotic energy already flowing around her. 

 

Reyes enters the vehicle, smiling to her. “At least one of us remained on guard while the other was away.” Calling off her powers, she sticks her tongue to him, turning again to end with the cleaning. It was the first time that Reyes has the chance to examine her body with enough light and some distance to put it in perspective. Leaning on the wall, he starts to look at every inch of exposed skin, beginning in her ankles and moving up. She was well trained, not excessively muscular, but very toned. Her skin tone is pale, with some shade of brown mixed with pink. Freckles paint her thighs and lower back. He decides to pass by the ass as quickly as possible, because what he sees there is very tempting. Once he reaches the back, he gasps, making her stop with her cleaning to look at him over her shoulder with a knowing smile. Hiding behind the bra, she has a tattoo that surrounds her back, following her rib cage. The top from yesterday covered it, and he imagines that she made it that way just for that reason. 

 

When Sara sees him looking at her tattoo so intensely, she winks at him, moving a hand to open the bra and giving him a full view of it. “You can come closer if you want. My little secret is full of details.”

 

He closes the distance, not having to be told twice. Stopping just behind Sara, he let his gaze roam over her back, taking in all the details. Between her shoulder blades, a couple of inches below the neck, the Andromeda galaxy is inked into her skin with every possible detail. Below it, a flying phoenix rising from a perfect recreation of the Milky Way that almost surrounds all her back. Painted on the foreground, a depiction of Earth, Tessia and the Citadel, the tail of the Phoenix interlaced with them. He raises his hand, fingers itching to touch, but stops himself at the last moment, leaving it floating mere inches from her skin. “Es precioso, Sara.”

 

She is still looking at him over her shoulder, hands keeping the bra against her body. “I made it a week before we embarked the Hyperion. This adventure sounded like a rebirth to me, giving me the chance to be someone else, someone better. I wanted something to mark this new beginning.”

 

Reyes can resist it anymore, letting his fingertips follow the shape of the Phoenix. Feeling her shivering under his touch, he moves his hands away and catches the sides of the bra, clasping it over the tattoo before turning one of his hands to her waist. “I will impose a new rule on our shared home. I want to see this beauty at least one time a day.” 

 

Giggling softly, she shakes her head in disbelief. “So bossy, and so early in the morning!” Recovering the wet wipes package, she offers it to him. “Now that you are so well positioned, can you lend me a hand?”

 

Picking one of the wipes, he winks at her. “Sure thing, but only if you can offer me the same treatment.”

 

“Deal.” Sara puts down the package again, continuing cleaning her arms and chest while Reyes works on her back. The feeling of his left hand fixed on her hip while the right move the wipe her skin is making her feel dizzy. It’s been so long since the last time that someone caressed her body... Luckily for her auto control, he ends with the cleaning quickly, leaving her skin screaming for more but putting her mind at ease.

 

Before stepping back from she, Reyes' arm moves around her to pick up the wet wipes package. He needs to get away from her before she catches him sporting a hard boner again. With the package on his hands, he returns to the bedrolls, sitting on it cross legged. Taking off his shirt, he uses it to cover his hips, hiding the evident signal of his reaction to her. Picking up a wet wipe, he starts to wash his arms. Before he can finish the work on one of them, Sara kneels behind him, resting her chest against his back when she extends her arm to take one of the wipes and starting to work on his back without a single word. Her nimble fingers ghosted over his skin, swiftly taking away the filth and sweat from a full day in his armour and some action. When he is about to move the cleaning to his chest, Sara’s hand stopped, fingers closing around a spot near his right hip bone. A single ugly scar shows there, big enough to have been deadly if not treated right. Reyes shrugs, continuing with the wiping. “My first week on Kadara. Someone decided that they wanted my ship as a present for Sloane. Obviously, they didn't succeed, but they gave me this as a goodbye present. Luckily for me, I was doing a job for Nakamoto, and he patched me as soon as I returned to the Port. That's the exit wound, they shoot me on the guts, painful as hell. Having to see that scum was walking around Kadara, making everyone's life a living hell, was what pushed me to do something. A couple of weeks later, the beginning of the Collective was already working.”

 

Her fingers leave his skin, only to move to grasp his two shoulders, leaning until she can plant a kiss on the base of his neck, making him shiver. “I like your scars. They tell me that you had endured and grown into a better person.”

 

He had to close his eyes for a moment, fighting to maintain his breath even. It's been a long while since someone has told him something this good. The last one has been his brother, and even his words, slurred with the aged whisky, didn't get him the way hers had done. Taking a last deep breath, he shakes his head softly. “It seems that today is a day of discoveries then. Let's hope we can dig some secret that didn't belong to us.” With a last pat on his back, she crawls to her bedroll, recovering the food packages on the way.

 

Reyes does a quick job with the rest of the cleaning. The used wipes were put down in a pile near the door. Turning to face her, he extends a hand, reclaiming his breakfast. Giving it to him, Sara starts to work on hers, opening it and eating the oatmeal with a disgusted grin on her face. “Spirits, I hate this shit. Why they called it oatmeal if it evens remember you of it?”

 

“Because if they put ‘hard brown sawdust that tastes like shit’ no one will ever open it?”

 

Sara has to laugh at his words. “Yeah, but maybe some warning, even in a minuscule writing on the back of it, claiming that it looked like oatmeal but didn't taste like it, at all. Will be a fair thing to do.”

 

He rolls his eyes, swallowing the last spoon of food. “Sure, that little message will make it taste better, suuuureeee.”

 

Shrugging like an annoyed child, Sara continues eating. “Anyway, even this shit of breakfast can fool my mood today. I got very good news from Scott and Gil.” He just raises an inquisitive brow, taking a long gulp from the bottle of water. “If you ask it so nicely…” Putting aside the empty package, she opens the screen again, showing him the pic from Scott’s message. The ultrasound image is a telltale one, and Reyes can't hide in time the pang of sadness the idea brought to his mind. Sara sees it, closing the pic as quick as possible. “Reyes…”

 

He dismisses her worry with a move of his hand. “So, you will be an auntie soon? Congrats! It will be good to have some new life growing in this forsaken God's place.”

 

The comment makes her think about how strange is that she didn’t see a single baby around Kadara, after more than a year since the uprising. The answer almost feels like a hit on the guts. “You can't take off your implants outside the Initiative! Holy shit!”

 

He decides to start working on his armour. He needs something to occupy his hands while they had that conversation. He stands slowly and moves to the back, starting to put on his clothes. “Yes. Nakamoto tried, but without the correct equipment, it can have disastrous results. It was a hard thing to discover once you have forbidden access to the Nexus.”

 

Sara let her body fall to the bedroll again, covering her eyes with her forearm. “I'm sorry, Reyes. I didn't think about it until now.”

 

He stops talking while he puts on the chest plate, continuing while he locks it in place. “Don't worry. I mean what I said. I'm happy for them and the Initiative. We need to grow in numbers if we want to survive here.”

 

“That you have accepted it only made it more unfair.” She leans on her forearms, half sitting to face him. “I will find a way to help you. I didn't save their sorry asses from the Archon to let them play god with the exiles.”

 

Turning to face her while he fixes the boots over the trousers, he gives her a hard look. “And when have you decided that this is your war too?”

 

Avoiding his gaze and locking hers on the wall, she whispers softly. “When I'm started to think that maybe I will not want to go away from Kadara?”

 

The meaning of her words leaves him speechless. Does she want to stay here? Kadara is beautiful, he knows it, but it is enough to fill her curiosity? She will grow bored of it and leave, because she can do it. She is free to go wherever she wishes… The inner voice inside of his head is trying to make him stop and see the real reason. _‘She can't mean what I think…’_ With a sigh, he straightens his back, turning to face the back door. “Do as you wish, Sara. But don't start a crusade on my behalf. I made peace with the idea long ago.”

 

Sitting completely, she grunts to him. “You can be an insufferable stubborn, you know it?” Moving to pick up her armour, she starts to put it on, sighing while doing it. “I lack the quantity of sugar and caffeine to fight this battle. Let's change the topic, please.” She locks the hatches of her legs armour, testing them before she continues talking. “I got a message from Vetra. She says ‘Hi’ and Drack wants us to check the Tomkah against an Eiroch. That old man is crazy.”

 

The change of topic sounds perfect to him. “He is, and his granddaughter is not any better, but at least she is trapped in the Nexus, not running around the system shooting at everything that moves until it stops to do it. And about the Eiroch… we'll see. Maybe we had to test it to survive, but I don't think I want to crash against one purposely.”

 

“Well, we already checked the suspension jumping from a cliff, he will be happy enough with that.” Finishing the work of putting on the armour, she picks up the weapons, fixing them on her back and leg before starting to fold the bedrolls. “I need to check the info SAM send us. Do you mind if I did it outside?” 

 

Reyes shakes his head, reaching for his weapons near the seats. “Not a bit. We can sit outside the Tomkah and let some fresh air get inside.”

 

Unholstering the shotgun, she opens the door again and jumps outside. She can see the creeper from last time still doing rounds around the ruins. Taking a good look outside, she moves to sit on one of the windows, jumping effortlessly on one of the wheels and resting her back on the vehicle. Reyes follows her soon after, leaving the side door open to let some air to clean the ambient inside. Instead of sitting with her, he moves to lean against the rock wall, taking an advantageous position to control their surroundings.

 

Sara is already reading the message from SAM, teeth worrying her lower lip while she does it, shotgun leaning over her legs. Reyes takes a quick look around before opening his screen, ready to write a message to Keema inquiring about the state of the Port. When he opens the email application, he sees the unread message from Vetra, deciding to open it before moving to Collective’s business.

 

_ “Vidal, _

 

_ I received the photo Sara take of you two yesterday. Is good to see you smiling again. It has been a hard ride, but we made it. We saved Kadara, saved the Initiative, saved Heleus. It is time for you to take some time to be yourself again.  _

 

_ It's been a while since we meet on the docks while they build the Nexus, but I remember you liked to joke a lot then, and your laugh actually reached your eyes. The past months had been a struggle for all of us, but I’m glad to see the old Reyes coming back finally, even at this slow pace.  _

 

_ Take care of my Ryder-2 for me out there. If she is only half of the crazy his brother said she was, you will have your hands full soon enough. And do yourself a favour: stop being the Charlatan soon, Reyes is a cool guy too, you know it, right?. _

 

_ See you soon! _

_ Nyx.” _

 

Reyes can’t fight the grin on his face, a lopsided smile plastered on it. Closing the message, he takes a quick look around, only to find Sara looking at him with a knowing smile. He winks at her before returning his attention to the screen and starting to write a message for Keema. 

 

Sara smiles to herself before continue reading the translation. SAM has done a great job, the images followed by the translated text of the glyphs. It seems that the planet has a series of temples surrounding a central one, called ‘Anj daar’. By the description of SAM, it seems like a daar is a settlement, so maybe the central area maybe was a city or similar, dedicated to the gods? No word on the ruins indicated what are they worshiping, but one didn’t build a temple only for the beauty of it. Rereading the words one more time, she raises her head to look at Reyes as she finishes. “Reyes, do you have a map of the area that I can borrow?”

 

Without stopping writing, he leaves the wall and starts to walk to her, sending the message while he starts to climb to the vehicle, sitting beside her. “I only have this one.” A large reproduction of the landscape around them appears in front of her. “I ordered my people to topography the area around the Port. The map has some dark corners, but I think we can work with it.”

 

“Just what I need.” Taking another look at the map, she starts to make some mental notes before continuing. “It sounds like the Angaran who lived here years ago constructed a circle of temples around a central one. The one behind us is one of the links of the chain. SAM’s translation signals the distance and directions of the rest of the temples, from which we can extrapolate the central one’s position.” His lopsided smile is still there, together with a raised brow while she talks. “Can you help me to mark on the map the location of the temples from the text?”

 

With a nod, Reyes starts marking the one they were. She reads the next one’s indications, while he moves his hand to the direction she points and tries to find the designated area. They spend almost half an hour doing it. A big circle of red marks decorates the map when they finish. He takes a good look at it, trying to remember if he had any info regarding the designated spots. His memory didn’t recall a lot of info, until he takes a second look at it, identifying one of the spots. “This one will be problematic, is like a hub for the Remnant. An Observer is always there, with a random group of friends. We tried to assume control of the cave system, but the robots never give us a chance to do it for long.”

 

With a shrug, she closes the screen, turning slightly to face him. “We’ll see what we can find. Don’t worry, I’m not planning to throw myself in Remnant’s arms, but I need to check the rest of the places, marking the exact spot of them. If we find a great resistance, we can just mark the place and leave with our tail between our legs. No shame in it, we can return with Drack and let him have some fun later.”

 

Nodding slightly, Reyes closes the map before stretching his back, leaning against the window with a contented sigh. “Do you want to check some of the places before we return to Kadara Port? We only have supplies for a couple of days, but I think that we can check at least two of them.”

 

“Only if it safe to do it. Don’t want to risk your ass on my account.”

 

Chuckling softly, Reyes punches her ribs, “Didn’t know my ass is at stake, thanks for the info.” 

 

Sara sticks out her tongue to him, jumping from the vehicle and landing effortlessly on the ground. “I can’t bet on something I don’t own. Anyway, it will be a shame to ruin something that sexy.” She winks at him before stepping inside the Tomkah. Reyes follows her with a grin on his face. This adventure is turning into something different by the minute.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translate notes:  
> Es precioso --> Is beautiful  
> Anj daar --> Angaran language: Anj means 'anchor', daar is a name for a little settlement between cities.


	11. Unexpected surprises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is longer than planned >_< but I can't cut the action in the middle :P
> 
> Besides... next one will be an interesting one if you know what I mean :P
> 
> As usual, no beta reading for this one. All the errors are mine to bear hahahaha let me know if you find any attack to the English grammar and I'll try to correct it ;)
> 
> What do you think of the fic so far? Let me know if you find their banter and flirting funny, need to know if is my twisted mind or not XD

When Reyes enters the Tomkah, Sara is already sitting in the copilot seat, storing her weapons in the space between the seats. He can only chuckle to her eagerness, locking the door before moving to sit behind the wheel. Opening the map again, he starts to mark the navigation point on the console, turning on the engine as soon as he has finished. “Let's see what the Angaran left for us.”

Reyes drives the Tomkah down the hill, stopping briefly to recover the sensors they planted yesterday. Driving to the valley they used to reach the area, they pass beside the ruins. Taking a look to Sara, he finds her toying with her hair, looking like an eager child that has been promised to go to the theme park. Catching him looking, she smiles at him. “Can't wait to see what we can find! Scott has already spoiled this spot. Maybe we can find something new there!” She gives her one of the brightest smiles he ever saw. “Spirits, I love the thrilling of the unknown! It is what I loved from my time with the archaeologist. Not knowing what we can find or what dangers we can face--” She shakes her head with a sad smile. “I always followed Dad’s steps on this. All the family is an adrenaline junkie, but this passion for adventure and uncertainty… Scott never liked this kind of things. He is just like Mom on this, luckily for her. Having two like me will have destroyed her mind.”

“Then you’re on the perfect planet for you, my Little Wisp. Here, even the tiniest little thing will try to kill you, and the Kett still want to kick our asses as a reprisal from stealing the Port from them.”

He can see the mischievous grin growing on her face when she turns to face him. “And I’m developing some kind of addiction to sleeping with the most dangerous man on the planet. Do you know him?” She raises a hand, starting to count on her fingers, “Some clues to you: King of Kadara, renowned smuggler, head of a prosperous gang, sexy pilot…” 

His laugh is something so deep and fresh that caught Sara by surprise. “No idea who are you talking about, but we can ask Keema. He really sounds like a good specimen to catch.”

Sara joins him, laughing softly. “No way I’m gonna let you come close to him! Maybe you saw him first, but the King of Kadara is mine, even if he didn’t know it yet.” She winks at him before returning her attention to the road, turning herself away from him not to see his reaction to her words. 

With a soft sigh, Reyes drives north inside the valley, following the natural road in the middle of it, while muttering a quiet ‘Teaser’ between teeth. 

She sticks out her tongue to him before opening the screen of her omnitool to reread the translation from SAM. After some minutes of silence, she lowers her arm, “Looks like every temple is dedicated to a branch of their culture. The one we had left behind was called ‘The Song of the Stars’. Scott found there an ancient angaran musical instrument, right? The first we choose is “The Light of the Stars”. They had three temples devoted to the Stars, and the rest are focused on the planet.” Taking a quick look at the landscape outside, she can only smile and nod approvingly. “I can see why they want to worship the beauty of it.”

Reyes has to agree with her. Kadara is one of the most beautiful planets he visited in his life. The mountains looked like if a god has come down and sculpted them. The plains are green and full of life. The colour of the myriad of lakes that cover the planet is a perfect contrast to the orange light of the sun. It is stunning, in its dark and alien way, but Reyes has been caught by it since he set foot here the first time. “Agreed. During my jobs, I visited lots of planets and moons across the system, and no one has caught my eye like Kadara.”

Sara nods to him, closing the omni and returning her gaze to the outside. “What do you think we can find there? SAM said that Scott found a star map on Elaaden. Finding something similar will be great. Jaal explained to me that the Angaran had lost almost all their records from before the Scourge, but old legends talk about hundreds of settlements around the cluster. Can you imagine how they will react if we find a way to recover some of their past or even find a lost branch of their culture? Spirits, I’m doing it again, counting our chickens before they hatch.”

“Come on, Little Wisp, we are here! Dream big! Aim for the moon, even if you miss, you will end among the stars.”

She chuckles, pushing his shoulder lightly. “I will remember you this conversation when I decide to follow every stupid clue I find until you get tired of babysitting me.”

“Fair enough. But don't worry, I will teach you how to survive on Kadara, even when I know that you didn't need my help for it.”

“Maybe, but--” she raises a hand, biotic energy flowing around the closed fist. “This didn't help to deal with people, and you are very good at it.” She turns off the power, but her eyes still had the bluish light behind them. “I can be your bodyguard! Sister of the Pathfinder, Protector of the King of Kadara! Spirits, I love how it sounds! I'll ask Vetra for a shirt with it written on it. I can add the phrase ‘If you see me running… Sorry, too late!’.”

“God, Sara! Spending time with you is giving me a hint about the incredible patience Scott has. You are like a hamster high on caffeine! And with a terrible sense of humour!” He uses a moment of peace on the road to look at her, finding her very amused with his words.

When she catches him looking, she shrugs exaggeratedly. “Say what you want, but you love it.”

He turns to face her time enough to give her one of his lopsided smiles. “Absolutely.” Returning his attention to the road, he drove in silence for another fifteen minutes, while Sara enjoys the view, humming to herself a song Reyes didn't know. 

The red dot on the console is coming closer and closer with every mile they drive. One hour since they left their night camp, the first telltale of the temple ruins is outlined against the sky. Sara’s focus is fixed on the top of the hill where the temple rest. Reyes takes a good look around, searching for any danger. Sara was the first to see the Observer, examining the ruins with its sensor. “Seems like we got some unwanted company, Reyes.”

He stops the vehicle, looking to where she points and sighing. “Mierda… those fuckers never are alone outside.” Taking a good look around, he finds a hill far enough to be safe and drives to there. “Let's take a look, maybe we have lucky and can deal with them ourselves.”

She is reviewing the info Vetra and Peebee gave her about the Remnants, mixing it with the bits she can remember from the battle on Meridian. When Reyes stops the Tomkah, she unclasps the safety belt and moves to the back, picking up her weapons and searching on the box for her sniper rifle. Reyes did the same in the crates they requisitioned from the Outcast, picking up a white rifle she didn't have seen before. Activating the Black Widow, the big weapon dwarfed her behind it, but she bears it like it weighs nothing, leaning the barrel on her shoulder. “I never saw this gun before. It looks… Angaran? I’m sure as hell that is not a Kett design.”

Reyes activates it, the long barrel shining with a soft blue light. “It’s an Isharay. The best sniper rifle of Heleus, from what I’ve been told. And a show of a sense of humour you didn’t think they were capable of. The translation of the name means Goodbye.”

Sara pets lovingly the body of her weapon, “The best sniper from Heleus against the best one from the Milky Way. Let’s see how much damage we can do with this pair of beauties.”

They leave the vehicle through the side door, jumping over the Tomkah to gain more height. Sara leans her weight on her right knee, raising the weapon and opening the scope. Reyes lays on his chest, elbows fixed on the metal and aiming through the visor. A couple of Observers are doing some readings on the temple’s ruins, while an Assembler and a pair of Breachers move around the area. Without taking off her gaze from the visor, Sara asks Reyes his opinion. “I think we can do it. Even if they come close enough to get dangerous, we can retire inside the Tomkah and use the cannons.”

Reyes takes a moment to think about it, following the Observers’ movement. “Let’s hope we don’t have to use the cannon. I’ll take the one on the left, once we have their attention, we will need to deal with the Assembler before it starts to send a horde of Breachers against us.”

Checking the load of the weapon, she activates the disruptive ammo. “Good plan. I’ll take the one on the left and kill the Assembler after I got the Observer attention. Ready when you are.”

With a deep breath, Reyes checks the ammo in his weapon before aiming the Observer. He learned long ago that the red light on their front is a weak point, and he takes a moment to aim exactly at it. Pulling the trigger between heartbeats, like they instructors taught him, the weapon makes a deep and loud sound, and a heartbeat later the bullet pierces the shields of the Observer. From his right, a similar sound erupts, followed by another, and he sees the Assembler falling back while the Observer starts to move in their direction. Another shoot and he can see how the biped machine explodes. The sound of Sara reloading her weapon makes him recover his rhythm. Reloading his, he aims again, shooting against the same Observer. The second bullet destroys its shields. The two Observers are moving directly in their direction, but precise blows from each of them make them stay at a safe distance. Reyes one falls after two more shots, and the one Sara was attacking falls just a couple of shots later. The Breachers had used the time to come closer. Reyes puts down the rifle, taking up the sidewinder, while Sara did the same with her shotgun. The first Breacher shows itself just behind them and explodes midair when Sara unleash all the force of her shotgun against it. The second one jumped to the roof from the right side and got a welcome party from Reyes’ pistol. Sara pushes away the machine with a biotic pull when it is about to explode.

Sara moves closer to Reyes, helping him to stand. “Man, you look hot when in kill mood. Yesterday I didn’t get the chance to enjoy you in the battlefield, and wow, just WOW.”

A low growl leaves him, pushing her shoulder. “Said the pot to the kettle. Let's move to the ruins before some more friends come to check on them.” Reyes picks up the Isharay, folding it before jumping to the ground, Sara following close. Storing away the rifles, they return to the seats after locking the door. The road seems free of dangers, not a single creature on sight. 

When they move closer, the temple outlines start to appear on the windows. It has big columns, just like the previous one, but it has a big dome with a great hole in the middle. “It makes sense that if the temple is devoted to the stars, they had a place to make some star gazing, don’t you think?”

Reyes is driving the Tomkah as close as possible, eyes searching around for any enemy. “I’m surprised the Angaran at the Port didn’t talk about this place. It’s awe-inspiring. Don’t know if it’s ok to call it a ruined temple.”

With a nod, Sara recovers her shotgun, checking the load before fixing it on her hip. “Yeah, is strange that they don’t have any info regarding this place. Maybe they can’t even come this close to it?”

Stopping the vehicle near the south end of the ruins, Reyes unclasps his security belt before moving to the back. “It is possible. Let's see what we can find while we are alone.”

He recovers his shotgun, storing it on his back before opening the door again, jumping outside with his pistol on hand. Sara drops beside him, weapons sheathed but fits glowing with biotic energy. They make a quick round around the ruins, checking if they are truly alone or not. Not a single soul here and Sara turns off her powers, turning to face him. “I’ll take a look around and take some pics for SAM, in case he can add some info to what we already have.”

Nodding to her, Reyes moves to an upper position where he can have a 360 degrees view of the area. His chosen spot is on the top of one column near the dome, where he climbs through the debris of a fallen wall that lay near it. Sara is already moving around the area, taking pics of the glyphs on the columns and every surface she can find. After half an hour, she has ended with the outer area and moves to the dome itself. Sara disappears from his angle of vision, and he starts to worry about her. But she seems to read him better than himself when he starts talking, her voice resounding through the hole on the roof. “Reyes! You have to see this! Is marvellous! All the dome is covered with a relief picturing the night sky. There are planets and stars and even dark holes. Oh, wait--” Her voice stops abruptly before a loud sound substitutes it. 

Reyes is on the ground and moving inside the dome in mere seconds. He finds Sara seating on her ass in the centre of the room, a column of Remnant tech has grown from the ground just in front of her. “Shit, Sara. Are you alright?”

Looking at him with an apologetic smile, she shrugs. “Yep, I’m ok. It seems someone forgot to put the signal ‘Don’t touch the blue button’ here.”

He crosses his arms, weapon resting against his ribs. “Really? You come inside a forgotten temple in the middle of nowhere, see a button and thinks that the better thing you can do is push it? Dios, eres igual que tu hermano.” He shakes his head groaning softly. “If I have any doubt about if you two are twins, you have just confirmed it to me.” Moving closer to her, he helps her to stand. “Remember me to show you a vid of your brother touching unknown buttons on one of my bases. Anyway, you found some functional Remnant technology in the middle of a temple created by the Angaran.”

Moving a hand to her hair, she starts to fidget with it, moving the lock behind her ear. “Yeah, that sounds strange, right? But knowing that the Remnants were a creation of the Jardaan, maybe they helped to create the temples too?”

He takes a look at the column, circling it while scanning it with his omnitool. “Sounds feasible. But with what purpose?”

Sara is studying it, searching for any sign of its meaning. “Maybe we have to ask SAM about it.” When Reyes nods, she recovers the node from her bag and opens the communication. Seconds passed, and the node didn’t give any sign of having established the connection. Sara and Reyes exchange a look while she starts to worry her lower lip between her teeth. “I don’t like this. Let me take some pics and vids and leave the dome. Maybe the column is interfering with the comms?”

“I’m gonna recheck the outside. Please, try not to touch anything more, Sara.”

Sara sticks out her tongue to him, “Yes, Dad. I’ll behave.” With a snort, she returns to her work, taking close up pics of every glyph she can find. After the pics, she opens the vid app and begins recording a complete round of the room, moving closer to the column and doing a close up on it, including the button that had made the column raise from the ground. Reyes returns before she finishes, and helps her to take a set of pics from the stars depiction on the roof of the dome. They work in silence, the humming of the machinery from the column the only sound inside the room. 

When they have enough info about the room, Sara touches Reyes shoulder, “Let's go back to the Tomkah and try again to contact SAM.” When they are nearly outside, a blip sound reaches them. Turning to where they have parked the vehicle, they find an Observer scanning the Tomkah, totally unaware of their presence. They exchange a look, and before Reyes can finish with his nod, Sara is already glowing and launching a biotic Charge against it. As soon as she hit it, Reyes sees the shields trembling. He shoots at him with the Sidewinder, the punch of the pistol draining the shields and gaining some time for Sara, who is already aiming at it with her shotgun. The damn weapon is one of the best investments Reyes has ever made. A couple of point-blank shots and the Observer falls to the ground, light fading from its body. 

Reyes approaches the vehicle and makes a quick check of it with the omnitool. “Looks like our friend was trying to hack our ride. Let’s go before more of them want to join the party.”

She is still glowing softly when they move inside the vehicle, locking the door while Reyes sits behind the wheel. Turning on the engine while Sara seats, they drive to the spot where they stopped to kill the first set of Remnants. “Try again with SAM. We need his help. Is no good to have something like this in the middle of my planet without knowing what it is supposed to be.”

Sara has the shotgun resting on her legs and recovers the node from her bag, putting it on the console once activated. This time, the synthetic voice of SAM reaches them in a couple of seconds. “Good morning, Sara.”

“SAM! We got a new puzzle for you. Are you ready for it?”

“Please.” Sara is pretty sure that if the IA can sigh, he will do it. “Anything to distract me of the bored version of a Pathfinder we have roaming the Tempest right now.”

Reyes shakes his head, activating all the sensors of movement and temperature of the Tomkah. Sara starts to work on her omnitool, selecting the pics and the videos she wants to send to SAM. “Then you will be very happy for a while. We have moved to the second temple of the list, the one called the Light of the Stars. The temple is relatively intact, with a big dome decorated with a map of the stars, very detailed to be that old. And now, the surprise. Take a look at this pictures.” She sends him the ones from the room before she touched the button, and then one with the column on place. “I may have activated some Remnant tech accidentally-- well, not really, I pushed the button wanting to know what will happen, but I was not expecting for this thing to grow from the ground in seconds.”

No sound came from the node for half a minute until SAM’s voice echoed inside the space. “Sara, I will need more info to give you more details about it, but I remember this kind of columns from our visit to the factory on the Inalaara system. They acted as beacons to activate bigger mechanisms. Maybe you will need to activate a similar one in every temple to gain access to the central one. Do you have detailed pics of it that I can study?”

Sara is worrying her lip again, pushing it between her teeth with a finger. “Yeah, we have made a lot of pics of the temple and the dome, together with a vid. I’ll send it to you.” She begins the transfer before turning to face Reyes. “What do you think we have to do next? I’m inclined to take a look on the next one before returning to Kadara, but I know for sure that we will have to return here in some moment. This place is too special to just forget about it.”

Reyes checks the hour in his tool, “Frankly, I prefer to come back to the Port. If this kind of columns had to be activated in every temple, we would need to find the switch on the former temple. Knowing that this one is the more accessible and safer for now, it will do good for the research to take a good look there. Besides, is getting clear that we will need to spend more time than planned outside, it will be better if we can come back well prepared, maybe gather some help from the Angaran to secure the areas before we start our investigations.”

SAM answers first, while Sara is still thinking on it. “Mister Vidal is right, Sara. We need to know if the columns are part of the chain or if this one is special. You can check the temple while I review the images and translate the glyphs.”

With a sigh, she raises her omnitool to check the transfer. “Fine. You two are no fun, you know it, right?”

The chuckle that sounds from her left makes her turns to face Reyes, “I will exchange a day of adventure outside for a night on the Tartarus while we make plans. Deal?”

She lets go a feigned sigh, “Deal, but I expect to have a good amount of booze to keep me entertained.”

A beep from her omnitool signs the end of the transfer to SAM, and the AI seems eager to begin with the translation. “Be careful when you activate the other temple. I will need a full set of pics of the new one too. Contact me later with the info.”

“Sure thing, SAM. Have fun with the translation. Ryder out.” She turns off the node, returning it to her bag before moving on to face Reyes. “Well, Mister Vidal. Drive away from the fun.”

With a huff, Reyes restarts the engine, moving back to the road. “You make it sound like we will not having a little adventure while searching for the switch on the temple.”

Sara lets out a long sigh, “I know. But, damn! This is a secret I want to unveil, and I can't do it.”

“But you will, Little Wisp. We are only making sure that whatever we discover didn't bite our sorry ass when we find it. We are not giving up, at least I'm not doing it.”

She turns to face him, smiling softly, and he returns the gesture briefly. “I know, Reyes. If we are going to the original one, I'm gonna check the pics and see if I can find something similar to the switch of the other temple.” When he hums his agreement, she opens the pics, zoom in the base of the columns and altars. After half an hour, she whistles softly. “Ok, that's creepy. I think I found it.”

He turns to look at her. She is biting the nail of her right thumb, watching the screen with a frown. “Care to explain? Creepy is not the word I will use for finding a switch on a pic.”

“The switch has been turned off all the time that you have been there and started to glow when I moved closer.”

He reduces the speed, hand leaving the wheel to lean on her leg. “Don't take conclusions too early. We'll climb this mountain when we find it. The first thing is to check the temple. Point to me where the switch is supposed to be, and I will search for it. If I can't find it, we will test your hypothesis.”

She lowers the hand with the omnitool, squeezing his fingers. “Let's hope is just a glitch of the images, because if not… creepy!”

The rest of the way is done in silence, and slower than before, because Sara seems reluctant to let Reyes’ hand go. Almost an hour later, they reach their night camp spot. When Reyes turns off the engine, he turns a bit to face her with a lopsided grin. “Can I have my hand back?”

Blushing softly, she let his fingers go. “All yours, I'm keeping it warm.”

He pushes her shoulder while moving to the back. “Hey, you can reclaim it again as soon as we are outside if you want, but I need my two hands to open doors.”

Sara follows him to the back, checking her weapons while he opens the door. They jump outside, locking the door behind them before starting to go down the hill in the direction of the temple. She raises a hand to point to the upper part of the hill. “There. I saw the switch in one of your pics. It started to glow as soon as I reached the top of the hill while waiting for you to finish.”

Not a single soul, alive or synthetic, roams the area. They reach the lower part of the temple without incidents, and Sara puts a hand on Reyes’ arm to stop him. “Take a look here.” She opens the screen on her omnitool to show him the pic of the little altar. “See the soft glow at the base of the altar?” When he nods, she points again to the pic. “Try to memorise where it is. If my bad luck is still online, it will be turned off when you reach the altar.”

Reyes wants to make her smile. Her mood has been sombre since she saw the switch glowing on the pic. Circling her shoulders with his arm, he half hugs her. “Hey, your luck is not that bad. You are stuck with me, that has to count for something, don’t you think?”

Giggling softly, Sara turns her face enough to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Glad to hear that you admit it aloud, Mister Vidal. Now it will be best if we start moving or we will not make it in time for you to fulfil your promise of booze and dancing.”

He has to giggle with her, still wrapping her shoulders and returning the kiss with one on her temple. “When did I promised to dance?”

She laughs softly, patting his hand, “It is implicit in your offer, my friend. A dark room, filled with bass music, some booze, and you and me? Of course we will be dancing!”

With an exaggerated sigh, Reyes let her go, kicking her shoulder playfully. “I’m gonna regret it tomorrow, right?”

“We’ll see, Reyes, we’ll see.” She pushes him in the direction of the altar, waiting for him to call her. 

Still laughing, Reyes starts to climb the hill, closing the distance to the ruins that supposedly are hiding the switch. Reaching the top, he begins to circle the tiny altar, half buried in the ground. Stopping just in front of it and squatting down, he can’t find any trace of a switch or similar below the glyphs he memorised from Sara’s pic. With a sigh, he stands and raises his voice, “Sara, come here please, time to check your theory.” He squats again, waiting for her to join him, and as soon as her steps sounded close to the top, a soft blue glow starts to shine in the middle of the altar. He stands again, gaze fixed on the switch, seeing how the little button starts to glow brighter with every step Sara takes to close the distance.

She stops beside him, eyes avoiding the switch. “Spirits, do I hate being right all the time!”

Taking her hand, he leans against her side, “Look the bright side, no one besides you will have ever discovered the switches.” Reyes pushes her playfully with his shoulder. “Show me how you put your brother’s ability to push buttons to shame.”

She can't hide the smile on her face. “I'm sure I do it with more style than him.” Taking a step closer to the altar, she looks at him over her shoulder. “Can you move a bit away and record all of it? I'm sure SAM will like to see it in action and not just the result.”

He moves a couple of steps back, opening the recording app in his omnitool and starting to record her every movement. “Give me your best profile and remember to smile. Action!”

Shaking her head while kneeling, she made a flourished movement with her hand before pushing the switch and letting her body fall back, putting as much distance as possible to the altar. The response is almost immediate. As soon as her ass kiss the ground, a big pillar of Remnant tech emerges, the half buried altar moving aside like the lid of a box. Reyes is recording the column from where he stands, gaze moving between his screen and Sara, who is already standing and shaking off the dust from her butt. She turns to face, making a bow and talking to the recorder. “And this, my friends, is how you play with unknown technology. See you next week with the special ‘Tips for surviving in Heleus part 1’. Thanks for watching!” She throws a kiss to the cam before Reyes closes the app, laughing silently until the recording has finished, moment when he burst in laughs with her, who has begun as soon as the red light has turned off. 

“Your brother gonna love this video.”

With a shrug, she moves near the column and starts circling it, taking in every detail she can. “That's the plan. But seriously, any ideas for why this thing reacts to me?”

Coming closer, Reyes sits on a fallen column a few feets away from the column. “Don't know. Maybe your implant still have some Remnant code from your time on Meridian? You were connected directly to their computers, perhaps something remained.”

Sara moves a hand to cover her implant, “I hope not. Mom did it for me. It is one of her prototypes.”

Opening again the omnitool, Reyes stands and starts to record a video of the column in detail, followed by a series of pics while Sara moves around the rest of the temple, searching for more tech reacting to her. When he finishes with the images, he finds her sitting on the same cliff from yesterday, throwing little pebbles to the distant ground below. Sitting with her, he leans on her hands, crossing his legs. “We can ask it to SAM later when we send him all the pics from this one. At least our visit to Kadara will have another good thing besides a night of fun. If we need to activate every temple, we need to have access to them, and for at least one of them, we will need some backup. I can organise a team for tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.”

Sara closes her eyes, face turned to the sky. “See? I said that you would regret babysitting me, and I'm complicating your work enormously. But for once, is not entirely my fault!” Reyes raises a hand, caressing her implant softly. Sara gasps and her full body shivers. The gaze she gives to him is so heated that he feels lightheaded for a second before pulling off his fingers. Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath. “I will assume that you haven’t been with a biotic before because you have touched a very sensible area. It’s ok if you don’t know, just-- just don’t touch it if you are not willing to continue what you start, please.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. And don’t worry, I will prefer my women to feel good because of my touch instead of a bypass on the nerves. I like to use shortcuts, but not on this.”

Her eyes remain closed, but a lopsided grin is showing on her face. “Is that an offer, Mister Vidal?”

He has to laugh, she always turns any conversation they have in a flirt, but this time he was the one to blame. “Tempting as it is, I will prefer to return to Kadara Port before continuing this conversation. Besides we have a long night in front of us, let's see what it brings.”

She just nods, before opening her eyes. The faint glowing of blue light shows behind them when she turns to face him. “Sure. I just need a moment and some space, if you please.” Reyes laugh, standing and helping her to stand. Her fingers gave him a little shock, her energy crackling between them. “And that’s the reason I need a moment. Do you mind?”

Reyes moves away from her, moving closer to the column. She waits until he is far enough to activate her powers, turning herself into a glowing beacon of blue light. He saw her fighting for her life and full of rage, but never like this. He can feel her powers caressing his skin like water. She accumulates energy on her hands until they glow almost white, and then she launches a powerful attack against the next hill. A rain of rocks, dust and pebbles falling into the valley while she takes a deep breath and turns off her powers. When she turns to face him, his raised brow is question enough. “And after this awkward moment, can we go back to Kadara Port?”

“Little Wisp…”

With a grunt, she starts to walk to him, passing beside him without looking at him. “You can call it some sexual frustration mixed with a pinch of anxiety if you need to name it. Now let’s make like this never happened, please, and go back to the serious stuff, like my connection with the Remnant tech.”

Reyes follows her to the Tomkah, her shoulders stiff and her walk tense. When they have locked themselves inside the vehicle again, he stops her before she sits back. “Hey, it’s ok. I tend to scream and shoot things when I’m frustrated.”

Sara sighs, all her body deflating below his hands. “I know. But I’m not a fan of the phrase ‘Two in distress makes sorrow less’. Anyway, let’s get moving, I will contact SAM while we return to the Port.” Moving away from him, she sits on the co-pilot seat before picking up the node. “Let’s hope this time we didn’t find a group of Outlaws to fight.”

Sitting behind the wheel, he turns on the engine and drives it back to the main road that walks beside the big lake. “We had enough adventures for a couple of days, right?”

She is already connecting the node, “More than sufficient if I can say it aloud.” 

A couple of seconds later, the voice of SAM sounds above the purr of the engine. “Hello again, Sara. How did it go?”

“Well, we found another one, which confirms your theory about the link of the temples with the central one. But we have another mystery. The Rem tech seems to react to me. The controls of the columns remain occult until I came closer to them.” 

Silence is her answer, and after a minute, the voice of Scott joins SAM’s. “Hey, sis! SAM said that you had important news! What is? Did you kissed him yet?”

Reyes chuckles then, “Hello, Pathfinder. Rest easy. We aren’t in that phase… yet.”

Scott’s laughs fill the space inside the Tomkah, and Sara is turning in a cherry pop by the second. “She is harder to get than me. Good for you, sis. Make him suffer for a while. Now the important stuff.”

Sara takes a deep breath before starting to talk. “SAM, show him the pics of the column from the temple.” She gives the AI a moment to load the pics and for Scott to take a look at them. “We visited the ruins you found near the lake, and after some help from SAM’s libraries, we got a translation of the glyphs. It seems that Kadara has a series of temples that surround a central area. We moved to the second one this morning, and when I was taking a look inside a dome, a saw a glowing button.”

“And you pushed it.”

She blushes again, moving a lock of hair behind her ear. “Well, yes, I did it, and this column appeared from the ground.” A soft ‘interesting’ is his answer. “The good part is still to come, Scott. We returned to your temple to see if we can find another one like this here, which we did, but the fucking switch didn’t start working until I closed the distance to it. Reyes has been sitting in front of it and the power was down until I neared it.”

“Creepy.”

Reyes drives the Tomkah at medium speed, wanting to have his full attention on the conversation. Sara hums her agreement with Scott. “Yeah, same thoughts here. Reyes had a theory, but I don’t like it very much.”

The older man just shrugs, while looking at her. “Remembering what she suffered on Meridian, the direct interface connecting her with it… I don’t know if it is possible, give me a hand here SAM, maybe some Remnant code remains on her implant?”

SAM takes a couple of seconds to answer him. “Not a bad hypothesis, Mister Vidal. I’m sure our Remnant expert can develop a scanner to search for Remnant’s code snippets on your interface, Sara.”

Scott sighs in the back of the conversation. “I’ll talk with Peebee and ask for her help. We have planned to visit you on Kadara anyway, so don’t say a word about it, sis. You will turn in a new puzzle for her, and she will love it to bits.” Sara rolls her eyes to the node, knowing that he didn’t see her. “What are your plans now that you have turned yourself in a Remnant battery?”

“Besides of hating you? We are coming back to Kadara Port to get some help before moving to the next temple. Say thanks to Reyes, Scott. He is working very hard to keep me away from trouble, even on this planet.”

Gil’s voice enters then the comm. “Thanks, hot stuff! Take care of my new little sister! Can’t risk to lose her before she can start to pamper my children.” Sara and Scott grunt at the same time, making Gil and Reyes laugh together. 

“I will, Gil. You take care of the Pathfinder, and don’t let him drink the purplish liquor the Angaran love to drink at the end of the night, is worst than Ryncol!”

The twins sigh at the same time, making the other two laugh again. Sara is the first to react. “Enough, you too. Spirits, and you are the adults here?”

“Mature engineer here, no one talked about adulthood to me yet, little sis, ask your sexy smuggler.” The slap that Scott give him sounded across the com, making Sara mouth twitch imagining it. “Fine, fine! I’m going back to my dark corner of the Tempest. See you soon!”

Scott is moving in his room, the sound of the Pyjak when he pets it, a sweet background music. “I need to go, sis. I have Evfra and the Moshae on the Tempest, and I let them hanging in the meeting room. Contact me when you have a plan about the other temples. You can send me a message, or if you visit Keema, try to communicate with us with her comm system. I will feel better if I can see you in one piece.”

“We’ll try, Scott. Give our regards to the Moshae and Evfra.” 

She is about to cut the comms when Scott’s voice reaches them in a soft whisper. “Love you, sis. Take care out there, and you too, Reyes. Ryder out.” 

The node turns off on her hands, and she puts it aside with a sigh. She rests the elbow on the armrest, leaning her chin on her fist, gaze lost in the landscape. They drive in silence for half an hour, more or less. Kadara Port is growing on the visors of the Tomkah. The lake shines under the sun when they reach the outside area of the Slums. Reyes slows, even more, the speed, turning to look at her and touching her leg. “Hey, Little Wisp. Are you alright?”

Patting his hand, she hums softly. “Yes, don’t worry. Just thinking about-- well, about everything. But I’m fine, really.”

The container from where they unloaded the vehicle is still there, but Reyes parks the Tomkah in front of the entrance, calling Keema with his omnitool. “Hello, Keema. Can you send someone to take care of the Tomkah until we need it again?” Her answer goes directly to his ear implants. “Yes, we have some news to you. Can we have a meeting tomorrow morning?” Reyes smiles softly, Keema’s answer must be affirmative or at least amusing. “And when they park the vehicle, we have a pair of weapon’s crates here, courtesy of the Outlaws. I believe that one of them was from the Resistance fighters, take a look at them and return the items to Evfra if they still want them.” Some seconds later, Reyes hums to the omni. “Yeah, we will wait here until someone comes to pick up the Tomkah, just in case. Thanks, Keema. See you tomorrow”.

They move to the back to pick up their belongings, folding the bedrolls and storing their weapons again on the box where they had come. Reyes adds the Isharay to their collection with a wink to Sara. Five minutes later, a knock at the door signals the arrival of the team that will take care of the vehicle until they need it again. 

Opening the door, they find a pair of Asari with a Krogan and an Angaran. Reyes knows them because he just jumps out of the vehicle and moves away from it. Sara follows him, the two Asari looking at her with interest while they enter the control room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation notes:  
> Dios, eres igual que tu hermano. --> God, you are just like your brother


	12. A night in the Slums

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter than usual! The next one will be the juicy one, and I preferred to cut this one short to put the beginning of the next in the perfect spot.
> 
> Thanks for reading! I'm so happy every time I got a Kudo, a comment or see that someone has read my little fic <3 
> 
> As always, no betaed. Sorry about any grammar slip! I did my best, but I'm not English speaker and got some dramas with the pronouns, prepositions and verbal times >_<
> 
> Let me know what you think!! The smutty part is almost here... can't fight against this pair anymore!

Sara carries the box of weapons while Reyes had his arms full with their bags. When the door to the badlands closes behind them, Sara shivers visibly. “Spirits, did you see how the two Asari looked at me? Something's on my face?”

Reyes chuckles, leaving the bags on the empty table to hang them on his shoulders, freeing his hands to work with the doors. “Your face is perfectly fine. But I believe is my fault. I didn’t leave the Tartarus since Scott left me, and me being outside and with a woman? They must believe that you are a living miracle.” When he walks beside her, he pushes her with his shoulder. “Besides, I’ll look at you too, if we didn’t know each other, Hot Stuff.”

With a snort, she kicks him with the box in her arms when he opens the door. “You will regret those words, my friend.”

Leaving the control room with Sara on his tail, Reyes just shrugs before looking at her over his shoulder. “I’m sure I will regret a lot of things tonight.”

“Oh yes, Reyes. That’s the perfect thing to say to your date.”

With a shake of his head, he decides to don’t give her the satisfaction of an answer, keeping walking to the stairs instead. The sun is setting behind them, painting the area with an orange light. Some patrons roam the upper and lower doors of the Tartarus, but everyone gives them the space they need to move inside. The interior is not crowded yet, but the night is still young. Bass music and low light accompany them to the private office, turning into muffled sounds and orange light as soon as the door of the room closes behind them. Moving directly to the concealed panel, Reyes opens the door, entering the hallway and activating the sensors that turn on the lights. Sara follows him, taking a moment to ensure the door to the office closes before moving to the inner sanctum.

Reyes is already putting the bags down on the couch when she enters the condo, locking the door and leaving the box on the ground beside it. “Home, sweet home.”

With a smile, Reyes stretches his back, before letting his body fall on the couch. “Your words, not mine, but yes, I can relate to the feeling. Want to take the shower first?”

“No, all yours. I need to get off of this armour and search for something to wear tonight. It’s been centuries since I had my last date and I want to be presentable.” With a wink, she disappears into her room, closing the door behind her.

Reyes forces himself to stand, moving to his room while loosening the closings of his armour. Once he reaches it, the pieces begin to fall to the ground until he stands in his room in his underwear. Making some stretching movements, he cracks the muscles of his back before bending to recover the pieces and storing them in a trunk near the bed. Opening the closet, he stood in front of it, touching his lips with a finger, thinking about what to wear tonight. After a couple of minutes of it, he reaches inside, picking up a pair of black trousers and a buttoned grey shirt. Nothing fancy but cool enough to match whatever she chooses to wear. Once he has picked the underwear, he has a revelation that stopped him before leaving the room. _‘I’m having a date with her, a real date. And I promised to dance with her. Oh, God. I’m doomed.’_ He finally sees the enormity of his mistake, because just thinking about her body vibrating near his is doing nasty things with his groin. Taking a deep breath, he covers his body with the clean clothes and almost runs into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

Sara, on the other side of the condo, is doing almost the same things. Her armour lays stored in the box where it came to Kadara, and she stands beside the bed, examining the clothes she had knoll on it. She didn’t bring anything sexier than a tank top, but she can work on it. She has a black v-neck shirt with the Initiative logo on the back, and she got an idea. Leaving the room with a mischievous grin, she tiptoed to the kitchen, listening to Reyes using the shower. Searching inside the drawers, she giggles happily when she finds what she was looking for: a pair of scissors. Returning to the bedroom, she sits on the bed and begins to work on the shirt, cutting the back in strips of one inch, cutting the lower end of some of them and using it to braid the rest of them. Once finished, she has a very regular shirt on the front, and an open design for the back, the twisted threads hiding the Initiative logo completely. She returned the scissors to the drawer before deciding the rest of the outfit. A pair of camo pants and the black undies. The bra will remain stored. She plans to tease Reyes to the max tonight.

When she hears the door of the bathroom opening, the sunlight has almost gone completely. Picking up a long shirt, she dresses with it before leaving the room, finding Reyes moving around shirtless. “Nice show. Can I ask to add some real food to it?”

He was about to put down the items on his hands on the bed, answering her while doing it. “Ha ha ha. Want to take the shower while I cook? Or do you prefer to pester me until I feed you?”

Sara’s voice reaches him muffled by the walls. “Pestering you sounds like a good idea! I’m already sitting in the kitchen. Don’t make me wait. And don’t you dare to put on a shirt, Mister Vidal.”

He snorts, even knowing she can’t hear him, before putting down the shirt and leaving the room. “Are we on bossy mode or what?”

When he enters the kitchen, she is sitting on the island’s counter, bare legs flapping over the edge. “Hush. Just cook for me while looking this good, Reyes. It will be my present after a shitty day.”

Shaking the head, Reyes just moves in front of the fridge and starts fishing for something to eat. He had cooked meat in the freezer, pasta and vegetables. He can work with less. Picking up the meat from the freezer's drawer, he put it down on the counter before turning to search for the rest of ingredients. “And do you plan to help or just watch?”

With a feigned sigh, she jumps from the counter. “I can help. Tell me what to do.”

“Can you defrost this?”

Sara picks the box from the counter and moves to the oven, programming it for defrosting and selecting the time. Behind her, Reyes is heating water and boiling pasta, while getting a pan ready to cook the bag of vegetables he had beside him. Her eyes move from the timer to Reyes' back from time to time. The show is too good to miss it. He moves around the kitchen with precise movements, not a single one unplanned. The beep of the oven distracts her, making her return her attention to the task on her hands. Taking the box from it, she brings it to Reyes before returning to her spot on the counter, facing him. The pasta is ready, and he has rinsed it with cool water before storing it in a plate for later. When he had the meat, he heats the pan and puts inside the meat and the vegetables, adding a good serving of the Angaran wine and some species. It smells good, and Sara’s belly reacts to it growling softly, making them laugh. When the liquid has been reduced on the pan, Reyes adds the pasta inside. “Can you bring me the bowls to serve it?”

Jumping again from the counter, she moves behind him, raising on her tiptoes to reach the shelf where the bowls are stored. The soft chuckle she can hear from him signals that he has been watching her, and she turns to face him with a raised brow. “You are not the only one enjoying a show, Sara. Bring them there. The meal is ready.”

Sara passes him the bowls before stepping back, giving him space to work. The food smells delicious, and she takes the offered one with a happy grin on her face. “We can eat here if you want. I’m so hungry that I will devour it.”

With a soft smile, Reyes leans his head, pointing to the corner of the island where she has been sitting all the time, and he leans against the opposite one. Picking a pair of forks from a drawer, she passes one to him before returning to her original spot. Sara burns her tongue when she puts the first mouthful of food in her mouth. The next one, she blows it before doing it and hums happily when the flavour of it reaches her tongue. “Spirits, Reyes. It’s delicious!”

He chuckles, moving the food on his plate to cool it. “That’s your stomach talking, but thanks for the compliment anyway.”

“If I got food enough, I will throw you a piece of it. Shut up and take my compliments.” Feeling her mouth again, she turns to look at the door, a soft blushing showing on her face.

Moving beside her, he fills his fork with meat and pasta and offers it to her. “Thank you, Sara. You know that my social skills are a bit rusty. Peace?”

She takes the offered food, turning from him to munch it. When she swallows it, she punches his shoulder with hers. “Peace.”

They eat the rest of the meal in silence, using the remaining wine to down the food. Sara feels very sated for when she put downs the bowl. “Time to wash the dishes while you explain to me how you plan to entertain me tonight.”

‘Pinning you against a wall and having my way with you, if I can choose.’ Taking a deep breath, Reyes shakes his head while moving to the sink. “Nothing fancy, this is Kadara. We can opt to remain here at the Tartarus or move to Umi’s place. Have a drink, dance for a while, and come back here. I don’t know about yourself, but I’m a bit tired and miss my bed.”

Sara is heating the water to the correct temperature before beginning to wash the bowls and the pan. “You are no fun, Reyes. But ok, is your date, your plan.” She winks at him before returning her attention to the dishes in front of her. “The Tartarus sounds good. I don’t need nothing fancy.”

“I feared you said that words. Tartarus then, but with a single condition. You will remain with me all the time. There is a reason why the dancers are behind bars on this club.”

Her giggle makes a shiver run down Reyes’ back. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m planning to stay very close.” When he punches her shoulder, she changes the giggle for a full laugh, sending some drops of water to his chest. “Very, very close.”

Using a kitchen rag to dry himself, he hits her butt with it before putting it aside. “You are insufferable.”

She dries her hands with the same cloth before pushing him outside the kitchen. “Wait for a while before bitching about it.” Once in the living room, she sees that the night is complete at last, darkness surrounding the condo. “Can you wait for me upstairs while I shower and get a change of clothes? You can order the drinks and save a spot for us.”

“I’ll come to wait for you at the door if I can’t find a place on the upper floor. I’m not letting you walk alone inside the bar at this hours. Kian will never forgive me if you blow off the roof.”

She has to laugh, is kind of cute how he tries to protect her and disguise it. “Fine, Dad.” She disappears into her room, picking up the clothes she has readied beforehand, together with her toiletry bag. She is walking to the bathroom when he leaves his room, closing the buttons of his shirt, eliciting a whistle from Sara. Reyes shakes his head, “Said the one that is walking around in a t-shirt and nothing more.”

Before she locks the door behind her, Sara peaks outside, winking at him. “Walking around in my underwear didn’t work on the Tomkah. I’m trying with a new strategy.” The door closes before Reyes can throw her something. Putting the clothes on the counter, she takes off the shirt and the dirty underwear, stepping inside the shower and heating the water to the max. After soaking her body for a long while under the hot water, she reaches outside for her shampoo and soap. She washes her hair thoroughly, using the water to undo the knots she can find. Once done with the hair, she washes her body, the white foam of the soap covering every inch of her body. Rinsing her skin, she applies some softener on her hair, hoping for the best; her unruly curls tend to ignore the products she tries to use to tame them. After enjoying the water for several minutes more while the softener does its magic, she rinses her hair and leaves the shower. Drying her skin, she applies a good dose of cream on it, enjoying the velvety feeling under her fingertips. While her hair remains secured inside the towel, she begins to put the clothes on. The shirt looks even better than she imagined, the neckline low enough to show some cleavage, and the back looks really cool. The colours of her tattoo almost shine between the dark braids of cloth. Happy with the look, she pulls off the towel, working slowly on her hair. For once, the curls are in the mood to collaborate with her, and she styled them in record time. Leaving the bathroom, she returns to her room, putting on the boots and securing the knife on the right one. Another one is on the side of her pants, hidden in a concealed pocket. Before leaving the room, she takes a last look at her reflection in the little mirror, deciding to apply some makeup to her eyes and lips.

When she leaves the house, credichips secured in one of the pockets of her pants, she feels pleased with her look and has all the intention to give Reyes a hard night if he didn’t try to kiss her, at least.

The upper room is empty, and she locks the door behind her before moving to the outside. She makes a quick scan of the area, searching for Reyes. The low lights didn’t help, but after less than a minute, she saw him on a table near the stairs. She begins walking to him when a pair of very drunken humans step between them, stopping her. “Hey, beauty. Wanna have some fun?”

Sara crosses her arms, a cocky grin on her face. “Oh, sure. But not with you two.”

One of them gives the other his glass, stepping into her personal space. “Too clean for us, bitch? Because I can take what I want from you while I enjoy your screams.”

Lowering her hands, she closes them in fists while a soft blue light erupted around her. “You can fucking try it. I dare you.”

But before either of the men can make a single move against her, Reyes pushes the one in front of her against the wall, forearm pressing his neck and cutting his air flow. “The Badlands is a perfect place for morons like you, Bradshaw. It is the second time I warn you. And you are lucky enough not to have put a single finger on her because you will be suffering a prolonged and painful death.” Turning to face the other man, his cutting tone clearly the one of the Charlatan instead of Reyes Vidal. “You, take your friend outside. If I see you here again, you will regret it. I made myself clear?”

The man let the drinks fall to the ground, moving to pick up his half conscious friend, muttering a _‘Yes, sir’_ while leaving the Tartarus almost running. Reyes turns to face her, a worried frown on his face.

She turns off her powers and smiles at him. “Thanks for the help, my knight in shining armour, but I got it under control.”

With a sigh, he points to the table, moving a hand to her back to guide her, and when his fingers touched skin, he stops, moving to her back, growling when he sees the span on skin visible. “Dios, Sara. ¿Qué llevas puesto? ¿Quieres matarme?”

Looking at her over her shoulder, she raises a brow. “I don’t know what are you saying, Reyes. But I will assume that you don’t approve of my attire?”

His hands return to her back, fingers slipping under the rags to rest entirely on her skin. “I very much approve it, and that’s my problem right now.” They reach the table, and he makes her sit on the stool while he remains standing beside her. A full bottle of whisky awaits for them on the table, together with a pair of glasses. Taking a long breath, Reyes signals to his back over his shoulder. “And that little incident is the reason I wanted to walk you here instead of letting you come alone. The Slums are a dangerous place. We can’t maintain all the idiots locked outside.”

Pickin up the bottle, Sara serves a share of the golden liquid in each glass, passing one to Reyes. “I dealt with idiots before, Reyes. But I got the idea. No more _‘Sara going solo’_ ” She makes finger quotes to emphasise her words. “Besides, I like having you on my back.” She winks to him before draining her drink.

His fingers twitched slightly at her words, and he drains his glass in a long gulp before putting it down. “Are you sure you want to walk that path, Sara?”

Turning to face him, the movement making his hand rest on her waist. “Absolutely. Is not like I'm very discreet about it, Reyes. But I will not push you into it. I’m more in the mood to let it flow.”

Moving closer to her, he returns his hand to her back, fingers splashed over her tattoo. She can feel his breath on her ear when he talks. “You and I have different concepts about _‘not pushing’_ , Sara.”

She rests a hand on his chest, thumb slipping between buttons to touch his skin. “Well, I girl can dream, right?” Pushing him away before she can’t control herself, she winks at him. “Let’s finish this bottle and take me to the dance floor. You promised me a dance.”

His hand disappears from her back, catching the bottle and serving another round of drinks for them. They drink this one with little sips. He seems concentrated on the people around them, eyes darting from one person to the next. Another gulp of her glass and she begins to roll it between her hands. “Reyes, we can go back if you want. I didn’t think about the dangers of you being here.”

His golden gaze returned to her, and the hardness of it surprises her. “Oh, don’t worry, Little Wisp. No one will raise a finger against me here. This is my kingdom, remember? Almost all the people here are part of the Collective, and those who aren’t, are sympathisers.” His eyes darted again to the people around them. “I was worried about you, not me. You are too sexy for this goddamn place and shine like a beacon here.”

Feeling the blush creeping on her face again, she hides it behind the glass, draining its contents in a long gulp. Sara has endured a lot of self-deprecation thoughts. The _‘Ryder’_ situation, with the whole galaxy pointing at them and calling them traitors to the Alliance and the Council's principles. She has worked for years, fighting to regain the rights to be just her, not the daughter of Alex Ryder. The last year before going to sleep has been like rolling downhill from a happy life to a valley of sadness. First Mom illness, then Dad with the SAM idea truncating their carriers on the Alliance, then Zorya and the attack on their outpost, with all that occurred there and the scar on her face. The cut hurt more than her skin, icing the cake of her life. She was scarred outside and inside when they bring her back to Earth. She was still recovering from it when the news of her mother being hospitalised came. Everything shattered after that, and not even Scott can make her smile again those days.

Her fingers move to cover the scar without thinking, still lost in thoughts. But Reyes sees her, making her twist on the stool pulling her legs until she is facing him completely. Taking off her hand, he cups her face with his, thumb tracing the scar on her cheek. “Someday I will make you see yourself through my eyes. You are the only one who didn’t see your beauty and charm, Sara.”

She closes her eyes, the beat of the music resounding in her chest unable to silence the crazy rhythm of her heartbeats. She feels his words like a blanket around her. Leaning slightly on his hand, she sighs sadly, whispering her answer. “I can get used to hearing those words, Reyes.”

His thumb stops his movement for a second before he closes the distance and leans his forehead on hers. After less than a minute, he moves apart from her, serving the drinks with a sigh. “Let’s end this bottle and got that dance I owe you.”

Picking up the glass, she locks her gaze on the golden liquid. “You make it sound like an obligation. If you aren’t in the mood to dance, we can go back to your home and see a movie, or just sleep.”

“I’m the mood for a lot of things, Sara. Dancing with you is one of the few things I want to do tonight.” Finishing his glass, he put it down before moving to the other side of the table, crossing his arms. “So drink your booze and show me how well you can move those hips.”

Jumping from the stool with the glass in her hands, she stops in front of him, ending the drink and putting it down on the table without breaking eye contact with him. “That sounded like a challenge, Mister Vidal.”

Chuckling softly, he takes her hand and guides her down the stairs. He knows that the end of the night can go south quickly, but she is too hard to resist. And thinking about her dancing in his arms is enough to put his blood to boil. Let’s see if they can survive the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:  
> Dios, Sara. ¿Qué llevas puesto? ¿Quieres matarme? --> God, Sara. What are you wearing? Do you want to kill me?


	13. Dance with me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara got what she wants, a dance with the most dangerously sexy man she ever met.
> 
> The night is young, what it will bring to them? What kind of surprises awaits them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay!!! I don't have an excuse xD besides a lot of shiny prompts appearing in front of me and distracting me from the series in the worse moment!!
> 
> Hope you like it. Yay, some smut at last!!!! 
> 
> As always, no beta for this words. All the typos are mine, sorry! I'll do my best, buuuut, Spanish girl here XD I keep on my war with English grammar :P
> 
> Thanks for reading! and let me know what you think ;) I will love to hear from you!

The dance floor is almost empty, and they wave to Kian when moving beside his post behind the bar. The bartender returns the gesture, failing completely in hiding the grin on his face when he saw them walking hand in hand. Reyes decides to ignore him, because, damn, he has all the reason to grin at him, knowing how deep he has been drowning when Scott left him.

Sara guides him to a corner of the dance floor, freeing her hand from his and leaning to whisper in his ear. “Let’s see how you move those hips, Mister Vidal.” Stepping away from him, she begins to dance.

Reyes’ eyes are fixed on her, unable to tear away his gaze. Dios, she can dance! Her hips are drawing some random pattern in the air, moving side to side in soft circles, feet moving from time to time to change the position of her body, and hands and arms raised to the sky with a glorious grace. He feels the growl leaving him before he can stop it, hand reaching to her instinctively. When his fingers find the way to her skin through the open back of her shirt, he pulls her closer to him, beginning to move his hips with hers, finding the rhythm quickly. Letting his eyes roam the area around them, he tightened his grip on her. Some of the patrons are looking at her with hungry eyes, and he can’t blame them. Her movements are hotter than the ones from the dancers around the bar. She turns in his arms until she is facing him completely, moving her arms to encircle his neck while she moves a leg between his, changing the cadence of her movements to a sensual one. Growling again, he whispers into her ear. “I’ll ask it again, Sara. Are you sure is that what you want? Because you are making it very difficult for me to resist.”

Stopping her movement, she raises her gaze to him, moving a hand to his nape and the other to his chest. “Just kiss me already, Reyes.” The breathless words hit something deep inside of him, and he closes the distance to his lips, tasting at last what he has been craving for days now. Reyes can feel her moaning directly into his mouth, and when her lips open slightly, he slips his tongue inside, finding hers and making them dance. His hand slides to her ass, squeezing it hard while his other hand keep her pinned on his chest. The world seems to disappear around them, their senses focussed in the kiss, the shared breaths, the heated touches.

But the gods seemed determined to ruin their moment, because of a drunken human, who moves closer and grabs her ass, startling her. Before Reyes can react, she has pushed him away, and her glowing fist is breaking the other man’s jaw with the force of her punch. He wasn’t alone, and some of his friends begin to insult her, calling her whore and worse things, and she begins to glow, the energy of her biotics creeping on Reyes’ skin.

But before she can charge against them, one of them sees Reyes, and his drunken mind recognises him, muttering an _‘Oh!’_ that makes his friends look in the direction of his gaze. “Exactly, oh. Now do yourselves a favour, and leave this place before I decided to call some of my friends to force you to leave or she decides to break all the bones of your sad bodies.”

Sara is still glowing when the group picks up his fallen comrade and leaves the bar, tail between their legs. “I’m getting tired of your knightly behaviour, Reyes.”

He shakes his head, moving his hands to her waist and pulling her to him. He feels the energy of her powers on his skin. A vibration, a glowing that reaches even to the darkest corner of his mind, melting his insides. Nudging his nose with hers, she kisses the tip of it. The gesture seems to calm her because she turns off her powers, but her mouth is still closed in a tight line. “Hey, I’m not protecting you. I’m protecting my reputation. Here, I am the grey sided smuggler with good connections. The one nobody has to mess with. I can’t damage that, or my life here will be a pain.” He lost himself in the glow of her eyes, the blue sparks, remnants of her energy, shining in the dark room. Moving a hand to cup her face, he leans closer to whisper in her ear over the sound of the music. “I know that you can take care of yourself.” Seeing that she keeps her hands to herself, not returning the gesture, he sees that she isn’t in the mood anymore, and sighs, kissing her temple. “Want to call it a night? We can go back and watch a movie. We still have the rest of the Blasto’s series to see.”

With a sad sigh, she leans her forehead on his shoulder, grasping the shirt with her hands, “I just--” She stops her words, and takes a deep breath. “Yeah. The mood is pretty broken right now. Better if we didn’t dwell on the what ifs.” She releases the grip on him and takes a step back, making Reyes' hands fall to his side. Without a single look at him, she begins to climb the stairs. Kian looks at Reyes from his spot, head tilted and a surprised frown on his face. Reyes just shakes his head and follows her.

The people at the bar has seen the show, and keep their distances to her, luckily for them. She reaches the door to Reyes’ office without any disturbance, and he appears beside her as the door opens. Once they are inside the room, Reyes grabs her hand to stop her. “Hey, Little Wisp, talk to me.”

Her hand clenches on Reyes’ grasp, and he let her go, watching how she walks directly to the concealed door and opens it. Before stepping into the dark space, Sara stops briefly, looking at him over her shoulder. “I’m fine, Reyes. I just need to go home.” Taking a step forward, the lights inside the corridor turn on, and she walks the narrow space until she reaches the door to Reyes’s flat. With a sigh, she opens the door, moving directly to her quarters to change her clothes.

Locking the door behind him once inside, Reyes searches for Sara, finding her once he saw the light under the door to her room. He didn’t know what to do. The kiss has been-- Reyes can’t find the words to describe it, but his mind and his body are screaming for more. But the moment was lost, and he didn’t know if she will want to continue it or even if it is a good idea. Running a hand through his hair, he decides that at least he has to know that she is fine. Knocking at her door, he waits for her permission to enter the room.

He stays there for a couple of minutes, shifting his position and asking himself why in the void is he still doing standing in front of the door. Just when he turns to leave, the door opens, and Sara appears on the threshold, dressed in her pyjamas and looking troubled. “Sorry for keep you waiting. I was changing my clothes.”

Reyes moves closer to her, cupping her face and making her look at him. “You don’t need to apologise, Sara. How are you feeling? Do you want to chill on the couch watching a movie?”

Closing her eyes, Sara leans on his touch, “I’m not the best company right now, Reyes.”

“I’m not buying it.” With a movement that makes her shriek, he picks her up in his arms, walking to the couch ignoring her protests. “Wait for me here while I got comfortable.” He puts her softly on the chaise longue, kissing her head before moving to his room to get changed. When he is alone in his room, he stops for a second, brain finally catching the full situation. Why is he acting like this? They have been friendly, sure, they have flirted, pretty sure. They had a connection while kissing, sure. But-- taking care of her, feeling bad because she is upset, wanting to cuddle with her until she feels better... An exasperated sigh leaves him, while he is folding his pants. _‘Why the hell all the members of the Ryder family has to find their way under my skin this quick?’_ Putting on the sweatpants he uses to sleep, he picks up the shirt, resting it on his shoulder before leaving the room.

Sara is still in the same spot, legs bent and the chin resting on her knees. The screen shows an image of an old action movie, not Blasto’s saga then. Thank God for the little things. Sitting on the couch beside her, he uses his omni to lower the lights of the room. Pushing her shoulder softly, he puts an arm on her shoulders and makes her lay over him, head resting on his chest. He didn’t know why he has left the t-shirt off, until know. Feeling her hot skin against his, the softness of her hair, the breathing caressing him. Yeah, it has been a good decision. She sighs, nesting herself even more on his chest before opening the omni to let him hit the play button.

The movie begins to play, stupid dialogues with explosions and blasters in the background. He is drawing circles on her back while his other hand is resting over hers on his abs. The pieces fall into place so easily for them.... Everything is familiar, comfortable. Reyes feels her stir, moving the hand that was rested over him to surround his waist. Her voice sounds muffled against his skin, and the movie didn’t help, but he catches all the words. “I don’t want to be a burden for you, Reyes. As much as I want this, I can’t give them weapons to use against you. After the next expedition, I will ask Keema for a place to stay.”

Reyes moves to free himself from her grasp, pausing the movie with his omni before grabbing her and making her sit on his legs, straddling his thighs. Capturing her face between his hands, he makes her look at him. “You aren’t and never will be, a burden to me. If they want to hurt me, they always will find a way. Besides, they didn't know what will hit them if they try to raise a single finger against you. So stop this.” His thumbs caressed her cheeks, soothing movement while he thinks what to say next. “If you want to go, I will not stop you. My door will always be open for you, and I will continue going with you on your expeditions. But if I can say my part, I like having you here.”

“I don’t like being used against the ones I care, Reyes. I’ve been there before, and it always ends badly. Last time I almost fried my brain trying to keep Scott alive when the Archon used me as leverage with him.”

Reyes takes her hands, resting them on his chest and leaning his on her thighs. “Well, I don’t like being the one who tells you the news, Little Wisp, but you are Sara Ryder, daughter of Alec Ryder, sister of the human Pathfinder. You will always cross paths with someone who wants to hurt, just to hurt Scott or the Initiative. At least here, I can try to control it as much as I can.”

One of her hands leaves his chest to put her hair behind her ear. “I know it, Reyes. But I don’t have to like it or didn’t try to avoid it as much as I can.” Tearing her gaze from him, she concentrates on the hand splashed on his chest. “Do you really want me here?”

He sees the opening like he always does when he is negotiating for a deal or in a mission and decides to take advantage of it. “Not really.” When she looks at him with a surprised look, he moves his hands to her back, pulling her to him until their chest collide. “I want you here if I can choose.”

Sara hides her face on the crook of his neck. “You are a moron.”

“Yeah, but you will not want me in any other way.” Moving his hand to lost itself in her curls, he moves them to get a more comfortable position. Reyes can feel the sigh his ministrations on her head elicited. Just to test it, he adds some nails to the caress, scratching her, making her purr. Laughing, he keeps his hand moving. “Mi gatito. Do you like to be petted, kitten?”

Nudging with his neck, she shifts her position a bit. “Usually, I will say no, but that feels sooo good, Reyes.”

Another opening and Reyes is more than happy to take it. Using the hand on her hair, he pulls a bit, making her move away from him. “I know more ways of making you feel good, Sara.” He begins to get closer, giving her time to go away if it is what she wants, but as always, she surprises him, closing the gap by herself and kissing him. Her hand moved to cup his face, the other resting on his nape.

Reyes feels intoxicated. If the kiss at the dance floor has made his blood boil, this one… Dios, this one is melting his brain. His full body is coming to life under her touch. The hand on her hair makes her tilt it to one side, giving him better access to devour her.

They are a panting mess for when Sara breaks the kiss to catch her breath. She lets her fingers play with the short hair of his nape, making goosebumps appear everywhere. “Damn, Sara. What are you doing to me?”

Slipping her hands from his hair and face, she lets them fall across his chest, enjoying the feeling of every muscle under her fingertips, stopping just above the waist band. “I hope that the same you are doing to me, Reyes.” Grabbing the hem of her shirt, she pulls it off in a single movement, leaving her upper body naked for Reyes study. She hears his breathing stop, letting it go slowly while his eyes roam over her body. She has a little flower tattooed between her breast, a white lotus with a drop of blood falling to it. Reyes moves a hand to let a finger follow it, and was rewarded by a soft gasp from her. Splashing his hand on her abs, he keeps his gaze fixed on the little flower. “What it means?”

Another gasp and one of Sara’s hands move to cover his. “You are the first person who asked me about its meaning.” Closing the grasp on his hand, she raises it, closing his fingers into a fist except for the index. Sara traces the tattoo with his finger while she explains it. “The white lotus is a message of love to everyone that sees it.” moving the finger up, she covers the drop with his fingertip. “And that is the blood that I shed to feed my love.”

Reyes frees his hand, only to catch hers, moving it to his mouth, kissing every finger. “It is a beautiful tattoo, Sara. And it’s a shame no one has asked about it. I will repeat myself, the men who had you before didn’t deserve you.” His words make her shiver more than his hands, and Reyes feels it, letting the hand go to slide to his back, pulling her over him. Her skin is soft against his, and he uses the moment to enjoy the feeling, letting his hands travel up and down of her back. They kiss again, slowly and tender, while her hands found its way to his nape again.

The kiss changes to little peaks that make them smile, until Reyes cups her face, moving her away enough to watch into her eyes. “Do you really want to keep going?”

Grabbing his hand, she just slips it up her body, until it is cupping one of her breasts instead. Leaning more on him, Sara stops an inch before she reaches his lips. “Reyes, stop asking. I want it. I want you since the first time I saw you on Meridian.”

Her words make something stir inside of him, wanting to say that he feels the same, but instead, he disentangles his hand from her chest, moving it to her back and using his free hand to grab her ass, standing with her in his arms. She reacts immediately, wrapping her arms and legs around him, giggling. “Then let’s go to a more comfortable place. I want to take my time with you, Little Wisp.”

Sara raises her body until her chin is resting on his shoulder, whispering into his ear. “We’ll see if I let you, Reyes. After making me wait for so long, I want you to fight for it.”

Reyes has to laugh, hard and pure. “So long? Sara, we just met some days ago!”

Tracing the shell of his ear with her tongue, she keeps talking in whispers while doing it. “But I wanted you since I set my eyes on you. And I’m sure you got your eye on me at least since the journey to Kadara. That’s a lot of wasted time in my book, Reyes.”

“What have I done to deserve you, Sara?”

Giggling again, she moves to kiss his jaw and cheek while they enter his room. “Something good, I hope.”

Reyes lets her fall to the bed, bouncing on it and making her laugh. “I hope so, Little Wisp.” She is still laughing when he falls over her, his hips pinning her to the bed, the outlining of his hard rock member pushing against her thigh. The weight of his upper body resting on his forearms, while he gives her mouth opened kisses across the line of her jaw. His chest is mere inches away from her, keeping the touch limited to their hips and the feeling of his mouth on her jaw and neck.

Sara's hands move to his chest, wanting some direct connection with his skin, and he chuckles, letting her be for now while he changes his focus to her neck. Reyes bites her pulse point, hard enough to make her gasp and arch her back, but not enough to mark her skin. Licking the area, he moves up, nudging her lobe with his nose. “I want to mark you. I want to claim you as mine for all to see.”

The breath got caught in her chest, eyes closing while his words sink. “I thought that our little show at the dance floor was statement enough.” Forcing her brain to keep working, she moves her hands down his back, scratching it with her nails and eliciting a low growl from him. “Go ahead, if you want, but I will keep the rights to do the same to you, Reyes.”

This woman will be the death of him, and he will go gladly. Using a leg to separate hers, he puts his knees on the bed, surrounding her upper body with his arms and pulling her until he is sitting on his heels and she is straddling him. “Maybe I can make you forget that threat, preciosa.” One of his arms surrounds her waist, pinning her to his body, while his other arm follows the line of her spine, hand resting on her nape. When Sara wraps her legs around his hips, he lost it, closing his mouth in over the crook of her neck, biting and sucking it until he left a bright red mark on her skin. She shivers under his ministrations. Her head tilted to one side to give him better access, while she mewls and gasps with every lap of his tongue. The word _‘Mine’_ keeps crossing his mind, but he pushes the idea aside for a later study. The feeling of her body against him is driving him crazy. _'The way she moves, Dios, debería_ haberlo sabido.' She moves on the bed with the same fluency than in the dance floor. Her hips are rotating against his groin, giving him a hard time to concentrate.

One of her hands travels up his back, fingers caressing the base of his skull, making goose bumps appear on his skin. Her breathless whisper sounds directly inside his brain, the fog of passion making him black out the rest of the world. “Want to see something really special?”

“I’m already seeing one. What can you have hidden on your sleeve?”

Her tongue leaves her mouth to trace the shell of his ear. “Touch my amp, softly.” She moves away from him, leaning on his hands and the grasp she has on his neck.

Letting the hand that is fixed on her head go down slowly, he let his fingers ghost over her skin until he finds the amp. His index and middle finger begin to draw a circle on it, and then everything explodes in light and energy. She moans loudly, head falling back, while the power of her biotics washes over the two of them. The vibrating energy travels across Reyes’ body, and together with the arousing image of her pleasure, his blood reaches a boiling point. Slipping away his fingers, he put her down, towering over her while she catches her breath, powers receding slowly. “Nice trick, but I prefer to make you scream without hijacking your brain, Little Wisp. But I like to have a way to make you scream and be ready for me this quick.” Sara is still catching her breath when he falls over her, wrapping one of her legs on his hips while he ruts against her core. They kiss, hard and full of passion, sharing soft gasps and moans every time their bodies touch a perfect spot.

And then, the sense of humour of all the gods out there shined over them, when their omnitools begin to beep like crazy. They try to ignore it, but the sound didn't stop. Groaning, Reyes sits back, opening the screen while she does the same. The call seems to be a conference because the worried face of Keema appears in both of their screens. “Sorry for disturbing you, but we have a problem.”

Reyes passes a hand through his hair, the bad mood written perfectly in his features. “I hope it's a real one, Keema, or we will have a serious chat tomorrow.”

The woman on the other side of the line sighs. “Remnants are attacking our posts around the port, Reyes.”

Those words make the two of them cold immediately. “Meet us in the Badlands' door. We’ll be there in five minutes.” Closing the comms without letting her say a word, Reyes stands from the bed, recovering his armour from the wardrobe, while swearing in Spanish. Sara leaves the bed in a hurry, almost running to her room to get dressed too.

Three minutes later, they leave their respective chambers, armed and ready. Reyes stops her before reaching the door, kissing her with so much passion that they are breathless when they finally stop to breathe. “Mi pequeño ángel. Later-- Later I will make you mine at last, not just in appearances. Let’s kill some robots. I need to bend my frustrations on something.”

“I will keep you to that promise, Reyes. Now let’s go, before Keema begins to panic.”

The way to the Slums doors is a silent one, they still need to calm their minds completely before engaging a battle like the one Keema pictured, but the cold of the night and the menace on the horizon seem to be enough.

The team awaits for them near the door, and behind it, and unknown danger that he never faced this close to Kadara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Dios --> God   
> Debería haberlo sabido --> I should have known  
> Preciosa --> Beauty  
> Mi gatito --> My kitten


End file.
